That Trip
by Agent N Danvers
Summary: Alex goes away on a routine trip for work, but what happens when something goes wrong? Will Piper become the strong woman that Alex needs? Will they manage to make their way home? Will anything ever be the same again? - Rated M just in **Warning for violence and kidnapping!**
1. Chapter 1

**Note from the author: So, I've been getting some requests for a fic where Alex is the one who is either hurt, and Piper has to be the strong one, or something along those lines. So instead of writing a chapter based on that suggestion, I have decided to write an entirely separate story for that suggestion. Hope you like it!**

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**-X-**

Alex rested her hands on Piper's arms and smiled softly, trying to reassure her girlfriend. "Hey," she whispered, pulling Piper closer to her. "Listen. It's just a routine trip." She murmured, lifting Piper's chin softly. "We're just setting up some drops and talking to some of the kids that I have down in Cuba." She whispered.

Piper sighed softly. "I know, but what if something happens?" she murmured, arms crossed across her chest. She shook her head. "I hate your job." She said.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You mean the job that pays for our apartment?" she whispered, smirking softly. Piper rolled her eyes and let out a small huff, dropping her head again. Alex lifted Piper's face to look into her eyes softly. "Everything is going to be fine." She murmured. "I promise." She said.

Piper let out a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." She whispered softly. She uncrossed her arms and quickly wrapped her arms around Alex, hugging her tightly. "But you have to call me. Like every day." She said, biting her lip.

Alex snaked her arms around Piper's waist and nodded. "Yes, miss jealousy." She said, chuckling softly.

Piper pulled away, narrowing her eyes and scrunching up her nose at her girlfriend. "I worry." She murmured.

Alex sighed softly, rolling her eyes. "I know." She whispered. Suddenly the intercom above them sputtered to life, relaying the last call for Alex's flight. "I have to go. I promise I'll call you as soon as I land." She whispered. Piper nodded and quickly pressed a hard, hot kiss to Alex's lips, pulling away slowly. Alex smiled softly and grabbed her carry-on that had been sitting on the floor next to them. "I'll see you in a few weeks." She whispered. She watched Piper nod, pulling away and crossing her arms over her chest again. Alex turned and walked towards the gate, turning back and waving at Piper one last time before boarding her plane.

**-X-**

_Two and a half weeks later:_

Piper laid on the bed that she shared with Alex, reading one of the books Alex had left behind. She had suggested the Piper read it, and so far, it was pretty good, even though Piper had only read four or five chapters. It was a Saturday, and even though Piper was usually busy at work, Alex was always on her mind. She was supposed to come home in a few days, and Piper had been preparing everything for when she got back. Alex called her every day, around the time she got home from work, updating her on what was going on and how the trip was going.

The phone startled Piper as it let out a shrill ring, causing Piper to drop the book. She pushed the book aside and grabbed the phone, punching the 'answer' button and laying on her back as she held the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she murmured into the phone.

For a few seconds the line was very quiet, but Piper could hear someone breathing faintly on the other end. "Hello?" Piper said again.

"Pipes-" A voice said.

Piper sat up suddenly. "Alex?" she said. "Alex, is that you? Alex, what's going on?" The line was silent again. "Alex, are you okay?"

"Piper, something happened." Alex whispered. "I-I can't, not over the phone." She whispered. "I need you." She said.

Piper jumped off the bed and grabbed her small luggage bag from the closet. "Alex, I'm going right now. I'll be there in a few hours. I'll get the first flight out." She said.

"I'll see you when you get here." Alex whispered. The phone went dead.

Piper threw the phone on the bed and grabbed some clothes, throwing them in the bag, and running out the door to the airport.

**-X-**

_Four and a half hours later:_

Piper stepped off the plane and grabbed her bag, running out and grabbing a cab. Alex had told her a few trips ago what hotel she usually stayed at whenever she came to Cuba. She gave the driver the address and sat back, fidgeting during the entire ride. Once they stopped, she threw some money at the cabbie and bolted to the hotel, reaching the front desk in record time.

"Vause, Alex Vause. I need the room number." She insisted.

The front desk clerk slowly pulled out a long list of names, flipping through the pages. He slowly picked up the phone and punched a few numbers, eyeing Piper up and down as the phone rang. "Hello Ma'am, this is the front desk calling. There is a young woman down here demanding to see you." He listened quietly and nodded a few times. "Yes Ma'am." He hung up the phone and took out a pen and a key card envelope. He made a new key card, slipped the envelope over to Piper and nodded to an elevator to Piper's left. "Seventh floor." He murmured.

Piper grabbed the envelope and glanced at the number. 736. She raced to the elevator and punched the floor number, silently pleading for it to go faster. She jumped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened and found herself running to the end of the hall. She opened the door with the key card, shutting it behind her, and suddenly found a gun pressed to the base of her skull. "Alex, it's me." She whispered, dropping her bag and turning slowly.

She raised her hands slowly and took the gun gently away from Alex. She put the gun in the waistband of her jeans and took Alex's shaking hands in her own. "Alex, what happened?" she whispered.

Alex's mouth opened and closed a few times, her head shaking. "I-I-We…" she looked down at the floor and collapsed against the door, knees pulled up to her chest.

Piper dropped down in front of her and pulled her against her chest, softly stroking her hair, her arms wrapped around her girlfriend. The woman who she knew to be so strong. Who showed no vulnerability. The woman who she loved, who held Piper up when she needed it, when she was scared or in danger. The woman who protected her. This amazing woman, who now seemed so small, so scared. Frightened. They had always needed each other, but now, Alex needed Piper to support her, to help her, to protect her, more than Piper needed protection.

Alex grasped at Piper's shirt with her fingers, as if she was afraid that Piper wasn't real. Like if she didn't hold on as tight as she possibly could, Piper would just slip away, disappear into nothing. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she was a million miles away. She shook slightly against Piper, tears slipping from her eyes, scared.

Piper didn't understand it, but she knew what to do. She knew that Alex needed her, needed comfort and protection. So that was what she did. She wrapped her arms around Alex and held her close, softly brushing her hair behind her ears and wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay. I promise. I'm here now, I'll keep you safe." She murmured. "I promise."

**-X-**

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**This is where I will leave them for now. I have some ideas as to where I am going to take this fic, but I would also be open to suggestions if any of you have some ideas that you might like me to write about. Thanks for read though, guys! I would love to hear feedback, reactions, reviews, comments, constructive criticisms, anything will be welcomed! **

**I own nothing! All rights go to their proper owners. **


	2. Chapter 2

**-X-**

"We were meeting up at one of the more popular coffee shops, three days ago, going over some details, what time to board the plane, how to act around customs. Stuff that we always go through. Me and Spade. She had said that she was new to everything, so I talked her through the details." Alex had started saying. "Everything was going fine, we were just wrapping up and someone came up to our table. I thought it was Kubra at first, so I wasn't too worried, but when I actually got a look at the guy – it definitely wasn't Kubra. Spade never told me, she used to be a part of a different ring. So this guy, he starts yelling at Spade, telling her that he told her never to tell anyone about what she had been a part of before. She tried explaining that she didn't, that I didn't know anything. But he didn't believe her. He grabbed her, so I told him to back off. He pulls a gun, tells me to sit my ass down. So I did, but once he turned around to Spade again, I jumped at him, tried to get the gun." Alex sniffed slightly as she told her story. "He pulled the trigger. Went right through her heart. She never stood a chance,"

"As soon as the gun went off, everyone started panicking. Some ran for the door, others hit the ground. It was chaos. He grabbed me and held the gun to my chin, snarling and spitting something at me, I can't remember. All I remember is Spade's body lying on the floor, eyes wide open. Then the guy threw me to the ground, pointed and pulled the trigger. Grazed my right arm." She said, moving her arm slightly. "He ran out. I crawled over to Spade. She looked so scared, like I let her down. I should've had a gun with me. Why didn't I bring it? She would still be here. I should have done something. Something else." Her voice began cracking. "It's all my fault. She's dead and it's all my fault." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly.

Piper shook her head and gently helped Alex over to the bed, urging her to lay down. She pulled a sheet up over Alex and crawled into bed next to her, pulling Alex close to her and gently caressing her cheek. Alex sniffed and looked up at Piper. "She reminded me of you." She murmured. "She was smart, and resourceful. She was almost like a sister." Alex whispered. "And now it's my fault that she's dead. I didn't even do anything. I just closed her eyes and I ran out of there."

Piper shook her head. "It isn't your fault. What's meant to happen, just does." She said quietly. "Where'd you get the dressing for your arm?" she asked quietly, lifting Alex's arm out from under the sheets and looking at the bandages.

"Um, there was some stuff, under the sink." Alex murmured in reply.

The bandages were tattered, they looked like Alex had tried to rip them into strips, then hacked at them with scissors. They were just thin cotton bandages, no gauze or cream of any kind. Piper stood and headed towards the bathroom, but Alex grabbed her wrist. "Don't leave." She said quickly.

Piper shook her head. "I'm just going to get some better bandages for your arm." She said. She looked down at the frightened Alex and took Alex's hands in hers. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere." She said.

Alex bit her lip, slowly releasing Piper's wrist. Piper walked into the bathroom and found stray bandages strewn about the bathroom. She opened the cupboard under the sink and found some gauze, ointment, and some extra bandages. She carried them out to the bed and sat down next to Alex, unwrapping her arm. Alex winced slightly as the bandage came off, looking down at her arm slightly as Piper laid the bandages aside.

Piper sighed softly as she looked down at Alex's arm. The bullet had grazed her arm, traveling on a slight upward slant. "It isn't too bad. Could've been worse, I guess." Piper murmured. She opened the ointment and put it on the gauze, pressing it gently to Alex's arm, pulling back slightly as Alex let out a wince, but didn't move. She wrapped the bandage around Alex's arm, securing the ends and tossing everything else onto the floor. She laid back down next to Alex, who murmured a soft thanks, and curled herself up against Piper again. She pressed her forehead against Piper's chest, tears falling from her eyes once again.

"They're going to come after me." Alex whispered. "Kubra can't protect me. Not anymore. This ring, they're bigger than Kubra's. They're going to find me." She said to Piper. She looked up at her girlfriend and shook her head. "I can't put you in danger." She murmured.

Piper looked down at Alex and shook her head. The dark-haired woman, the woman who Piper knew as indestructible, was now so vulnerable, so scared. Yet, she was still trying to protect her, even if she couldn't protect herself. "I don't need any protection." Piper responded firmly. "I'm worried about you. I've never seen you this scared." She told Alex. She watched her hide her face, shaking her head.

"A person can only take so much." Alex whispered.

Piper sighed softly. "You've been through enough. Let me protect you this time." Piper whispered. She lifted Alex's face to look at her. "Please," She murmured. "Don't push me away."

Alex looked up at Piper again, gazing into her eyes. She sighed and nodded softly, pressing herself as close to Piper as she could. She wrapped her arms around Piper and bit her lip again crying softly as she felt Piper's own arms wrap around her body, pulling her closer to her girlfriend's chest. Alex pressed her hand to Piper's heart, feeling the strong beat. But she couldn't help but remember how easily it could all be ripped away from her, how life could be snuffed out like a flame, how short it could be. She sobbed softly, grabbing at Piper's shirt above her heart again, holding on to her as tightly as she could.

**-X-**

Piper brushed Alex's hair behind her ear as she slept, gazing down as she rested on her chest. Alex told her that she hadn't slept at all since the coffee shop. Every time she started to fall asleep, she saw Spade's face, how scared she was, and she saw his face, how angry he was, she felt the gun pressed up against her chin. Piper had calmed her every time she woke screaming, holding her face, stroking her hair, pulling her close, telling her she was safe. She had finally fallen asleep after three hours of waking, screaming, shaking, crying, pleading. Piper could tell she was utterly terrified.

A knock sounded at the door, causing Alex to stir slightly. Piper shifted, laying Alex on the bed. She grabbed the gun off the side table, tucking it into the waistband of her jeans. She padded to the door, opening it just enough to see who it was.

A tall, stocky man stood in front of the door. Piper looked up at his face, seeing a long scar reaching from his left eye, across his nose and down to his right cheek bone. Piper brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling softly. "Can I help you?" she whispered softly.

"I'm looking for someone named Alex." The man said.

Piper shook her head. "Sorry, no guy named Alex here." She said sweetly. She knew that this man was probably trouble, so she covered by saying that she thought the 'Alex' he was talking about was a man. She shrugged softly and smiled suggestively. "Just me and my new husband Thomas." She said, pulling the first name that came to her head. She watched the man look past her, trying to look back into the room. Piper dropped one hand from the door and rested her hand on the butt of the gun resting in her waistband. "Is there something else I can do for you?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

The man took one final look towards the room and shook his head. "Nah." He said. He turned abruptly and stomped back down the hall out of sight. Piper shut the door quickly and quietly and pulled out Alex's bags. She opened the drawers and grabbed her clothes, throwing them in the bag, making sure she didn't miss anything. She zipped up the bag as soon as she was sure she had everything. She had checked the bathroom and the closets, then she grabbed her phone and went online, trying to find them a flight out as soon as she could.

Piper laid down next to Alex, trying to convince herself to wake her up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. For the first time in at least three days, Alex looked peaceful. Probably for the first time in days, she wasn't scared out of her wits. Piper locked her phone, sighing softly, and wrapped her arms around Alex once again, closing her eyes and waiting for her to wake up.

**-X-**

Piper woke to see Alex looking up at her. "Why are the bags packed?" Alex whispered.

Piper sighed softly and brushed the sleep out of her eyes. "We need to leave, as soon as we can." She murmured. "Someone came to the door looking for you. I told him you weren't here, but soon enough they're going to come back looking." She explained.

Alex's face gave way to an expression of terror. "W-what did he look like?" she whispered.

Piper shrugged. "Tall, overweight, he had the biggest scar on his face." She murmured.

Alex's eyes grew wide. "That was him. The guy who killed Spade." Her breathing began to grow quicker, and her eyes began to dart around the room.

Piper could see that Alex was beginning to freak out. She took Alex's face in her hands and shook her head. "Shhh…Alex, Alex, Alex, it's okay. It's alright. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll keep you safe." She said. She looked into Alex's eyes, gently stroking Alex's cheek with her thumb. She pressed Alex's forehead against her own, gently whispering to Alex. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Alex wrapped her hands around Piper's wrists and nodded, tears falling from her eyes again. She bit her lip and kept nodding. "Let's get out of here." She insisted.

Piper nodded. "Lets." She whispered.

**-X-**

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**Thanks for all the feedback you guys! And just on the first chapter?! You guys are totally awesome! Anyways, I love the reviews you guys gave me. Please keep it coming!**

**I own nothing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so I understand why you guys think it's a little weird that Piper is so calm, and I'm going to try to explain that a little bit in this chapter.**

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**-X-**

Alex and Piper made their way out of the lobby into a cab. The sky was dark and still, with the crescent moon high above them. They put their luggage in the trunk and climbed into the back seat. Piper directed the driver to the airport, holding Alex's hand tightly in her own. Alex laid her head on Piper's shoulder as Piper stared out the window, watching the scene fly by absent mindedly. On the outside, Piper was calm. It was as if she had transformed from the scared, innocent young woman and changed into a strong, experienced woman. But that was only on the outside. She was still nervous, still scared, still unsure. But less so than before.

She needed to be strong, Alex needed her to be strong, it was the only way that they would make it out of there alive. Piper ran her thumb across Alex's knuckles, resting her own head on Alex's. But something that Piper was extremely aware of was the cold metal of the gun resting against her skin. She had insisted on bringing it with them, and she was pretty sure she would only need it until they got through security. Once they were through, Piper would toss the gun in a trash can, board the plane, and get home as fast as they could.

And that was what they did. Piper knew that the security in Cuba wasn't the best. And it was even worse if you knew who to tip at the gate. When they got to their first-class seats, Alex sat next to the window, rarely letting go of Piper's hand from when they got out of the cab to when they reached their seats. It was only when they were up in the air that Alex spoke again. "We should move." She whispered.

Piper looked over at Alex, raising an eyebrow. "What?" she asked quietly.

"We should move. Out of state, maybe even out of the country."

"Move?" Piper asked confused. "We can't move. What about your mom? We can't just leave her behind." Piper whispered.

Alex looked over at Piper and shook her head. "But they know who I am. Who I work for. It's just a matter of time until they find out where we live." Piper chuckled softly. "What?" Alex murmured angrily.

Piper shook her head. "Usually you're the one telling me that things are going to be okay. You're the one who has to calm me down." She said, giving Alex's hand a gentle squeeze. "It's just strange how things have changed." She whispered.

Alex sighed and bit her lip angrily. "I'm sorry. I don't know why this is affecting me so badly. It's just…." She looked out of the window, "I thought that if I was with Kubra, no other rings could touch me or my mules. I thought that they couldn't get anywhere near you. Now that they've killed Spade – " she broke off. "I'm scared. I'm scared that they'll get to my mom, or you and that I'd have to live without you. Because nothing is more frightening than that." She whispered.

Piper shook her head and rested her hand on Alex's shoulder. "Alex," she murmured. Alex didn't look at her. "Alex, please look at me." Piper whispered softly. Her voice was soft, pleading with Alex. It was the softest her voice had been since arriving in Cuba. Alex looked down at her lap, before turning and looking at Piper.

"What has happened to us?" Alex whispered. "We've both changed so radically."

Piper sighed and shook her head. "We change in order to survive." She whispered. "In your case, your fight or flight response kicked in, more so flight than fight." She murmured. "And in my case…." She broke off. "As soon as you called, something changed. I heard something in your voice, and I knew that I needed to protect you."

Alex scoffed slightly. "It used to be the other way around." She said, smirking slightly, but her face fell soon after.

Piper sighed, she caressed Alex's face softly, giving a small smile. "We're going to get home, and we're going to leave all of this behind us. We'll mourn Spade, and if you want, we can move, but we'll stay in the city. We can move closer to your mom." Piper suggested.

Alex nodded. "Maybe." She murmured. She sighed softly and shook her head again. "Maybe we should discuss it more when we get home."

Piper nodded. "Sounds reasonable." She whispered. Alex nodded once more, laying her head on Piper's shoulder. Piper rested her own head on Alex's, her blonde hair cascading down Alex's head, contrasting against Alex's raven-black hair. Alex gently took Piper's hand and twined their fingers together, running her thumb against the pad of Piper's.

**-X-**

_Three weeks later:_

Piper taped up the last box and looked around the loft. She sighed softly, remembering certain things. Her eyes landed on the dishwasher, and she smirked slightly, shaking her head. She shook her head, grabbed the box and took it down to the moving truck. She sent the truck ahead and headed back up to the loft for one last look around.

She closed the door behind her and walked towards the bedroom, spotting Alex staring out the window, arms crossed over her chest. Piper walked up beside her, looking in the same direction. "You okay?" She asked, looking over at Alex.

Alex sighed and nodded. "Yeah." She whispered. "This thing, it just rattled me. You know?" she whispered.

Piper nodded. "I know." She turned Alex to face her, linking their hands together. "It affected me too." She murmured. She pulled Alex closer to her, pressing their foreheads together. "But we're going to get through this." She paused slightly. "Yeah?" she whispered.

Alex nodded, staring softly into Piper's eyes. "Yeah." She whispered.

Piper nodded. "We're stronger together." She murmured. "And we're going to get things back to normal."

Alex sighed and nodded. "I'm going to miss this place." She whispered suddenly.

Piper grinned and nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Alex grinned softly and took Piper's hands, leading her through each room, reminding her of when Piper first moved in, and how they 'christened' each room. They looked around each room, reminiscing until they finally reached the front door.

Alex sighed again and faced Piper. "I really am going to miss this place." She whispered.

Piper nodded. "But just think, we have a whole new place to christen." She replied.

Alex bit her lip, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Piper responded. She pulled Alex against her, wrapping her arms around her and smiling. "And the sooner we get there, the sooner we can start." She whispered.

Alex grinned. "Then let's get going." She whispered.

Piper nodded. She pressed a hot, but quick kiss to Alex's lips, and pulled the door open, leading Alex out towards the car.

**-X-**

_Four days later:_

Piper woke to someone tucking her hair behind her ear, a hand resting against her cheek. She sighed softly, slowly opening her eyes, seeing Alex. "Good morning." She whispered.

Alex smiled softly. "Morning." She responded. She rested her hand under Piper's chin, moving forwards and softly kissing Piper. She pulled away slowly and let out a deep breath. "You know what?" she whispered.

Piper closed her eyes again, raising her eyebrows. "Hmm?" she murmured.

"I think things are finally starting to feel like they're getting back to normal." Alex whispered with a soft smile.

Piper smiled softly, opening her eyes. "Yeah? That's great." She said.

Alex nodded. "Mhmm. And since Kubra gave me some extra time off, we could just hang out here. Do some more christening." She said, biting her lip slightly.

Piper grinned. "That sounds perfect." She whispered. She pulled herself closer to Alex and kissed her softly, smiling as Alex's hand slid down her arm. She sighed softly and pulled away. "But-" she murmured.

Alex groaned as Piper pulled away. "But what?" she asked.

Piper shook her head. "I need to do a few errands today." She said softly. "But once I'm done those, I can pick up some food and maybe grab a movie for us." She suggested.

Alex sighed and looked over at Piper. "Fine." She whispered. "But after that, you're mine."

Piper bit her lip, groaning internally. She quickly pressed another kiss to Alex's lips before rolling off the bed and getting dressed.

**-X-**

Piper walked out of a local gun store, carrying a small .22 caliber pistol and a large box of bullets for it. For some reason, Alex hadn't felt the need to carry a gun before the trip. But Piper felt differently. She wanted to have the feeling that if something were to happen, she would be able to protect Alex. She needed that.

She made her way to her car slowly, feeling as if someone was watching her. She slowly unlocked the doors, and quickly made her way out of the parking lot. After a few minutes of driving, she spotted a small black car, seeming to follow a few cars behind her. She made her way towards an abandoned lot, parking and sitting on her trunk until she spotted the car again. The new gun rested in her hand, loaded and ready to go.

The black car pulled up a few feet away, the tinted windows hiding the identity of whoever was inside. Piper raised an eyebrow as the door opened, revealing a pair of high-heeled boots. Piper slid off the trunk of her car, holding the gun at her side as she took a few steps towards the car and crossing her arms.

The woman stood at about five and a half feet tall, much shorter than Piper herself. She wore a black pant suit, her hair tied back in a tight black bun. The woman stepped towards Piper, her face betraying no emotion. She pointed to the gun in Piper's hand.

"I'll give you a tip." The woman murmured. "If you shoot me with that, you'll be dead within seconds. Then who will protect Alex?" Her voice was soft, quiet. But yet it was somehow intimidating.

"So you obviously know where we are." Piper murmured. "That doesn't surprise me. But you don't scare me. Now what will it take to get you off our backs?" Piper asked calmly. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and she could feel her palms and fingertips growing slightly hot and sweaty.

The woman sighed softly. "The young woman who was killed in Cuba had an agreement with us. She would be allowed the live, but she wouldn't be able to work for anyone else. At least not in _that_ line of work." The woman eyed Piper up and down. "She didn't listen. We must be sure that she didn't tell anyone our….confidential….information." she murmured.

Piper shook her head. "I can assure you, neither I nor Alex know anything about your 'business.'"

The woman sighed and shook her head, looking down at her boots. "That may be, but we still need to be sure." She said. She moved ever closer to Piper, causing the blonde to tense up slightly. "Bring Alex and yourself back here in four days, we'll make sure things are settled properly." The woman turned suddenly and slinked back to her car, tearing out of the abandoned lot.

Piper let out a deep breath, shaking her head. _'What have we gotten ourselves into?'_ she thought to herself. Piper threw the gun in the car, sitting in the driver seat with her legs out of the car, head in her hands. After a few minutes of thinking, she started the car and made her way home.

**-X-**

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**I had so much trouble uploading this chapter. You guys have no idea!**

**I own nothing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**-X-**

Piper walked through the door, calling out to Alex. "Hey, sorry I'm so late. Traffic." She said. She had decided not to tell Alex about her little meeting with the woman, at least not right away.

Alex walked out of the kitchen, smiling softly. "It's fine." She whispered.

Piper sighed softly and dropped her purse that held the gun and the ammo. She stepped closer to Alex, wrapping her arms around the other woman and smiling softly. "So you want to pick a movie for us to watch?" she asked quietly.

Alex grinned and shrugged. "Maybe." She whispered. "But maybe I was thinking about doing something else." She whispered. She leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to Piper's neck, her hands tangling in Piper's hair.

Piper tilted her head slightly and let out a soft groan. "Alex," she whispered softly. "Al, wait." She said. She pulled away slowly, looking at Alex, slightly scared of telling her. She sighed softly and shook her head. "I need to tell you something." She whispered. She took Alex's wrists, leading her into their bedroom. She sat her down on the bed and began pacing the room. She sighed softly, shaking her head and running her hands through her hair.

Piper looked down at Alex, seeing the look of fear growing on her girlfriends face. She sat down next to Alex, looking down at her lap before taking a deep breath and explaining. "Al, it wasn't traffic." She murmured. She looked up at Alex and shook her head. "I was being followed, so I pulled into an abandoned lot and I had a little chat with someone from the ring from Cuba."

Alex's eyes grew wide and she squeezed Piper's hands tightly. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, shaking her head.

Piper continued. "She told me that they had a few questions for you. We're supposed to go back there in four days so she can talk to you." She whispered.

Alex bit her lip. She sighed softly. "Okay." She whispered softly.

"Okay?" Piper murmured.

Alex nodded. "Okay." She sighed softly. "This looks like the only way that we're going to get out of this. So….I'll go meet them." She whispered.

Piper shook her head. "Alex," she whispered. She looked up at Alex, shaking her head. "Al, I know that this hasn't been easy. But I promise you that I'm going to be with you the whole way. The only way that I'm going to let you talk to them is if I am by your side." She said firmly.

Alex nodded, then sighed softly. "I'm sorry." She said. "I used to be where you are. I was the one protecting you, I was the one who kept you safe." She said, laughing softly. "I feel like such an invalid." She hissed angrily.

Piper lifted Alex's face. "Listen. You are not an invalid. You are not weak. You are human. You have feelings, you get scared. And it's okay." She whispered. "This is part of being in a relationship. We take care of each other. Since we've been together, you have been taking care of me. When I was sick, or when I was scared, or unsure, or in danger. Now it's my turn." She whispered.

Alex sighed and nodded. She looked up at Piper and smiled softly. "Do you think that we'll ever get things back to normal?" she asked quietly.

Piper shook her head. "I have no idea." She responded. She laid back on their bed, one hand behind her head as she looked over at Alex. "I'm hopeful." She whispered.

Alex smiled softly and laid down next to Piper, resting her head in the crook of Piper's neck. "Me too." She said softly.

**-X-**

_Four days later: _

Piper loaded the gun and put it in the waistband of her jeans. She looked over at Alex, sitting on the edge of their bed, biting her nails. Piper kneeled in front of Alex, looking up into her eyes, gently pulling her hands away from her face, linking their fingers together and squeezing gently. "I'm going to be right next to you the whole time. I'm going to make sure of that." She whispered.

Alex sniffed softly and nodded. She bit her lower lip, tears falling from her eyes.

Piper shook her head. "I know you're scared. But-" Piper broke off. What could she say? There was no full guarantee that either of them would walk away from the situation. They both knew what this ring was capable of. They were bigger than Kubra's, stronger, and they were definitely more intimidating.

Alex shook her head. "I'm not just scared." She whispered. She looked into Piper's eyes. "Piper, I'm terrified." She murmured.

Piper could hear the fear in her voice. The look on her face, her mannerisms. Piper knew that this was testing Alex more than she ever had been before. She looked down at their hands, still linked together. "Alex, I-" she sighed. "I can't fully promise anything. I need you to know that." She whispered. "But, I need you to know something else," she looked up at Alex, she softly caressed Alex's cheeks, holding the scared woman's face in her hands. "Alex, I love you." She whispered. "I need you to know that, just in case." She whispered. "I love you." She murmured.

Alex smiled softly, her face softening with happiness, joy, and love. "That's the first time you've ever said that to me." She murmured.

Piper sighed softly. "I should have said it sooner. And it's not just because I'm not sure of what's going to happen. I just –"

Alex stopped her, pulling her closer to her and pressing a fierce, but soft kiss to her lips. "I love you too." She whispered.

Piper smiled softly and nodded. She stood and pulled Alex up, hugging her tightly before pulling away, rubbing Alex's arms softly. "Ready?" she whispered.

Alex sighed. "As I'll ever be." She muttered.

**-X-**

Piper pulled up to the abandoned lot where she had previously met the woman. She parked and looked over at Alex, nodding softly.

Alex nodded back, opening her door and stepping out, moving to the trunk and sitting on it. Piper followed her, securing her gun and waiting in silence with Alex.

Five minutes passed, then ten, thirty, forty five. After an hour of sitting and waiting, Piper was growing impatient. She stood and began pacing, gritting her teeth angrily. "We're early enough, I made sure of that. It's only nine o'clock."

Alex watched Piper nervously, biting at her fingernails again. She opened her mouth to say something, but as soon as she did, she spotted a glint of a car heading towards them. "There." She murmured, pointing towards it.

Piper looked in the direction of the car. She stood in front of Alex, one hand on her gun and watched as they pulled up. The dark car parked directly in front of them. The doors opened, revealing the same woman in the driver's seat, as well as the large man who was responsible for Spade's death, along with two large goons that Piper supposed the brought along for protection.

The woman stepped towards Piper and Alex, hands held up in front of her. "I have no weapons." She said.

Piper stepped forwards, hearing Alex follow closely behind her. Alex grabbed Piper's free hand and stood behind her, biting her lip. Piper squeezed Alex's hand and nodded. "Congratulations. I, however, feel the need to carry a weapon with me," she murmured. "No offense." She said sarcastically.

The woman gave a small smile, watching Alex instead of Piper. "There's really no need for any weapons. We just have to ask Alex some questions."

Piper felt Alex tense up behind her.

The woman smiled again. "Alone." She murmured.

Piper shook her head. "No way." She said. She pulled the gun out of the holster and held it at her side. "I stay with Alex. That's how this is going to work." She said.

The woman sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we must speak with Alex privately." She motioned to the goons, who suddenly moved forwards.

Piper raised the gun and pointed it at them. "You take another step and you'll get a face full of lead." She snarled. She took a few steps backwards and whispered softly to Alex. "Get back in the car." Alex stepped backwards and opened her door, waiting to see what they were going to do.

The woman raised her hands again and grinned softly. "We are sorry, but neither of you are leaving. We must resolve this issue." She said. She motioned to the goons again who stepped forwards again.

Piper pointed the gun at the goons and fired. The bullet caught one of them in the shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards. Suddenly the other two rushed forwards, catching Piper by surprise. The ripped the gun from her hands and knocked her over the head with it. She fell backwards, hitting her head on the trunk and falling to the ground. She heard Alex scream her name, but it sounded as though she was calling to her from underwater, or through a storm.

Piper's head was swimming and her vision was blurred, but still she tried to push herself up again, only to receive a swift kick to the ribs. She fell back to the ground, her eyes rolling back in her head. She could hear Alex screaming for someone to get away from her. Then suddenly, the screaming stopped. Piper's vision grew clearer, and she could see one of the goons walking back towards the car they arrived in, but he had a figure slung over his shoulder. Piper could just make out the dark hair falling over Alex's face, her glasses pushed awkwardly up her face, large scrapes covering the right side of her cheek.

The woman walked over to Piper and shook her head. "It didn't have to go like this," She whispered. "But you forced my hand." She murmured. She motioned to the large man that Piper had shot and whispered something to him. The man moved forwards and kicked Piper in the head, knocking her out.

**-X-**

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**Dun-duh-dun! Anyways, sorry it took me so long to update, I've been sorta busy. Haha! **

**So, any reviews are much appreciated! I really like that you guys like the story so much! You readers are amazing! I love you all!**

**I own nothing!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know you guys want me to update more, and I want to as well. Trust me! But I can only update when I get a wifi signal (which always seems to suck.) I try to update when I can, so I hope you guys can just bear with me for a while. **

**WARNING: ****This chapter is going to get pretty dark, so if you aren't okay with hostage scenes in TV shows or movies, you might want to go find another fic to read. **

**-X-**

Alex woke slowly. Her head was spinning so much that she could barely open her eyes at first. She could feel that her glasses were skewed on her face. She tried moving her hand to push them up properly, only to find that they were tied behind her. Her eyes flew open, looking around at her surroundings. She had been laid on a small bed in a tiny, and very dark room. She could feel her cheek was scraped, and her feet were bound as well. She searched the room franticly for any sign of Piper, only to find that she was very much alone. She managed to push herself up against the headboard with her feet, sitting up and staring at the door fearfully.

After a few minutes, the door opened, flooding the tiny space with bright light, causing Alex to shut her eyes against the harsh light. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself looking up at the woman in charge. She shrank back slightly, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Where's Piper?" she said meekly, finally finding her voice.

The woman looked down at Alex quickly before looking away, a blank expression on her face. "That is currently not your biggest concern." She said. She walked beside Alex, untied her feet and grabbed Alex's arm right where the bullet had grazed her.

Alex cried out in pain, pulling away from the woman, nearly rolling off the opposite side of the bed in the process.

The woman stifled a laugh and crossed her arms. "That won't do you any good." She said. She grabbed Alex by the arm again, pulling her off the bed. She shoved Alex out the door, finding an almost bare room with one single chair, a video camera on a tripod, and two of the three goons from the abandoned lot. The woman pushed Alex towards the chair, standing in the doorway and nodded at the two men. They moved forwards and pushed Alex onto the chair, tying her arms behind the back and each foot to one of the legs.

Alex stared at them fearfully, her body shaking as she fought back tears. She was trying to think of what Piper would say. How she would want her to act. Piper would want her to be strong, be the way that she used to be. Brave, fearless, tough. She would want her to remember what she had said to her before they left their apartment. _'I love you.' _Alex decided that those were the words that she would try to remember. No matter what they did to her, she wanted to her Piper's voice in her head, those words.

The woman stared at Alex curiously, shaking her head. "How could one death, affect someone prominently?" she said. She kneeled in front of Alex, looking up into her face and smirking slightly. She sighed loudly and shook her head. "You know, when Spade left us, she promised us that she wouldn't tell anyone about us." She said softly. She stood and walked over to the camera, re-adjusting the angle slightly. "We also told her that she couldn't join anyone else." She stepped forwards again, taking Alex's hair in her fist and pulling her head up to look at her. "Now, what did she tell you about us?" the woman hissed.

Alex gritted her teeth, glaring up at the woman. "Nothing." She snarled. She did a good job of hiding the fear in her voice, covering it with the rage that was filling her.

The woman sighed and shook her head. "I was hoping that we would have a much easier time than this." She said. She released her grip on Alex's hair and motioned to the slimmer of the two men. He stepped forwards and nodded, throwing a backhanded slap across her right cheek, causing her scrapes to open and bleed more profusely.

Alex let out a small yelp and let her head fall forwards again. She clenched her jaw closed and screwed her eyes shut, as if somehow, when she opened her eyes, it would have all been a dream. She knew it was crazy, and she knew that it wouldn't work, but some insane part of her felt the need to try something - _anything_ \- to get out of that situation. She could feel the warm blood running from her cheek down to her neck, and when she finally opened her eyes, she could see the woman kneeling in front of her again.

The woman sighed softly, sympathetically. "Alex, this can all go away. I can make this stop. I just need to know what Spade told you." She murmured calmly. She rested her hand on Alex's knee and lifted Alex's chin. "I doesn't have to be this hard." She whispered, shaking her head.

Alex's lip was quivering slightly, but as her head was raised, she pulled away from the woman's grasp, spitting into her eyes and shaking her head. "I don't know anything." She said.

The woman wiped her eyes clear and narrowed her gaze. "Shame." She murmured. She stood and turned away from Alex. "You know, if you had told us, we wouldn't have to hurt you. You could've left here, unscathed. You and Piper." She said, smiling slightly.

Alex tensed up at the mention of Piper's name. "Where is she?" she said. She couldn't hide the fear from her voice any longer. It came out clear and strong. "Where's Piper? What did you do to her?" she murmured. Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks, mixing with the blood that stained her skin.

The woman smiled softly. "Oh, she's being kept very safe. I've got her in her own little separate room." She murmured. "If you tell us, I'll let you see her." She suggested.

Alex shook her head. "I told you, I don't know ANYTHING!" she screamed.

The woman shook her head again. She turned to the two men, whispering something softly to them. The three of them left through a door that was behind Alex, leaving Alex alone with the video camera.

Alex kept shaking her head. "I don't know anything. I don't know anything. I don't know anything." She repeated to herself. She let her head fall again and sobbed softly. "I don't know anything."

**-X-**

Piper could hear someone talking, some voice that rang a tiny little bell in her head. She'd heard it before, but she couldn't place it. She lifted her head to tell Alex to turn down the TV, but as she tried to move her feet, she found they were held in place. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling her head pound as the light flooded her vision. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, seeing a large television monitor standing a few feet in front of her, with an image of Alex on it.

Piper was suddenly alert as she realized that Alex was sobbing softly, tied to a chair, repeating the same thing over and over. _'I don't know anything.' _She looked around the bare, brick-walled room, seeing only one person in her peripheral vision. A large man with his arms crossed, standing right behind her. "Let me out of here." She snarled loudly.

The man scoffed and walked around her, letting Piper get a good look at who was actually in the room with her. It was the man who had taken Spade's life. He narrowed his eyes as he stood next to the TV, grinning darkly at the image. "You know, I should've checked that room for myself." He said, shaking his head.

Piper snarled slightly. "You wouldn't have made it through the door."

The man laughed. "Oh, like you're such a good shot. You shot our guy in the shoulder. I'm pretty sure you were aiming elsewhere." He said.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "We don't know anything." She hissed.

Suddenly the door behind Piper flew open, allowing the two goons and the woman to march into the room. The woman walked around Piper a few times before crossing her arms and staring at her. "You know, when we heard about the great Alex Vause, we were told that she was one of the toughest, strongest women that we would ever find." The woman started. "I guess that's what you get when you buy your information from a mole." She looked over at the screen. "This woman," she said, pointing at the screen with her thumb. "She couldn't take on my seven year old niece." She laughed.

Piper gritted her teeth. "Let us go." She hissed quietly.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly. "You know, you both say that you don't know anything. But the thing is, I don't believe either of you." She said. "We all knew Spade. She was a little blabber-mouth. Couldn't keep anything to herself. So we know that she must've told Alex something. And anything she knew, you must know as well." The woman said.

Piper bared her teeth. "We don't know anything." She growled again.

The woman shook her head. "You two are such a pair." She said laughing. She cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. "If you tell us, we can promise that you and Alex will both walk out of here. In fact, I can do you one better, I can offer you the personal protection of this ring." She said, motioning to the company behind her. "I mean look at us! What does Kubra have? He certainly doesn't have these guys." She said, smiling widely.

Piper held her head up, screwing her jaw shut and shaking her head.

The woman sighed. She turned to the men behind her and began whispering something. They nodded a few times before turning off the TV screen, and taking it out with them. After a few minutes they returned, this time carrying a camera and tripod.

Piper felt her stomach drop slightly. She could imagine what their plan was. Allow Alex to watch what they were going to do to her, try to break her that way. Piper could only hope that Alex would find the strength that she would need to have to survive. Piper shook her head. "We don't know anything." She hissed.

The woman sighed. "That's too bad." She murmured. She left the room, slamming the door behind her as two of the men approached Piper.

**-X-**

Alex tensed as the door opened again. The woman stepped into the room and turned on the TV monitor. Alex's gaze switched back and forth a few times before finally realizing who was on the screen. "Piper." She murmured. As she saw the two men approach Piper she began struggling against the ropes. "No, no. NO-PIPER!" she screamed as she saw Piper's chair fall sideways.

**-X-**

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**I own nothing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, so I know that the last chapter was sort of dark, and I'm gonna see where my mind goes and how Piper and Alex might get out of this. I got some concerns about sexual abuse. And No, I will not be writing about it, or referencing it in any way. **

**-X-**

After a while, the men left Piper, righting her chair and leaving her alone with the camera and tripod. She coughed loudly a few times, trying to catch her breath, her head dropped down. Her head was splitting with pain, spinning and throbbing with each little noise that seemed to envelope the room. After a while, she looked up at the camera. _'Why would they bring that in here, unless…?' _She narrowed her eyes at the device and gave a weak smile. She shook her head and sighed softly. "Alex, if you are listening to this, if you can see me, I know that you don't know anything. I know that Spade didn't tell you anything. So whatever they do, you have to be strong. You know the truth, and soon enough, they're going to have to let us go." She said softly. "If you can hear this, it means that they're probably listening too. We don't know anything. And that is the truth." She said strongly.

Piper heard the door open behind her again, giving way to heavy footsteps, male footsteps. "You know, when I first heard of the great Alex Vause, I pictured her differently for some reason. I dunno, more tattoos, maybe shorter hair. I never thought that she would depend on anyone else for protection. Especially you!" He laughed, turning to face her. "No offense." Piper narrowed her eyes. The man held up his hands, as if in defense, smiling. "But there is that old saying, right? 'Never judge a book by its cover.'" He said. He crossed his arms and sighed. "Now, I believe you. I don't think that Spade told you anything. But the thing is, you now know about us. And we can't have either of you running back to Kubra and telling him anything. So I'll make you a deal. I'll let you both go, but in return, you work for me. And when Alex has returned to her old self, she will work for me too." He said.

Piper gritted her teeth, staring up at the man. "Or?" she hissed.

The man laughed softly. "I think you know quite well 'or' entails." He said. "Think about it Piper. This way, you get to go free. You and Alex, you can both go and live your own lives again. When we need you, we'll call you."

Piper clamped her jaw shut again.

The man sighed and shook his head. "Think fast. Alex needs you." He said. He began heading for the door.

Piper closed her eyes and shook her head. "Wait!" she called back. She heard the footsteps stop and walk up slowly behind her. She sighed and shook her head. "If I agree, I'll only work for you when absolutely necessary? You'll leave me and Alex alone?"

The man kneeled next to Piper again and nodded. "Only when absolutely necessary." He assured her.

Piper sighed and nodded. "Fine. We have a deal." She murmured.

The man smiled softly and nodded. "Good." He said. He reached behind her, untying her wrists and allowing her to untie her ankles. "I'll go get Alex for you."

Piper slowly untied her ankles and stood up slowly from the chair. She looked over at the door as it flew open, and Alex came running in, hugging Piper tightly before standing behind her. Piper returned the embrace as well as she could, feeling a broken rib and a possible dislocated shoulder. She grabbed Alex's hand and glared at the man, who held the door open and motioned them towards it.

"If you head down this hall and take the first right, you'll come to a door. We have someone waiting to take you home." He said.

Piper nodded, leading Alex down the hall and out the door that was specified. They opened the door to find the woman who they had first encountered waiting with a car to take them home. Alex squeezed Piper's hand nervously, clasping Piper's hand in both of hers.

The woman smiled warmly, clasping her hands in front of her. "Welcome to our family." She said.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Take us home." She hissed.

The woman smiled softly and nodded. "Of course." She said. She got in the car, waiting for Alex and Piper to climb in the back. Alex held onto Piper's hand tightly as they were driven out of what turned out to be an old abandoned apartment building.

The drive home took about forty-five minutes, straight to the front door of their building. The woman smiled at them as they got out, opening her window and waving slightly. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon." She said.

Piper narrowed her eyes and lead Alex up to their apartment, locking the door behind them.

Alex led Piper to their bedroom, sitting her down on the bed. She slowly took off Piper's t-shirt, looking down at her side. Piper's side was black and blue, almost covered fully in bruises. She shook her head and pulled Alex down to sit next to her. Alex shook her head. "You shouldn't have agreed to that." She murmured.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "I knew they would have you watching." She said, laughing weakly, wincing as her ribs contracted.

Alex narrowed her eyes and sighed softly. "I'm serious." She muttered. She looked away and dropped her head. "Maybe things would have been better if I had just stayed in Cuba, or run somewhere else." She said.

Piper turned to face Alex and turned the taller woman to face her. "This is the way things are. We can't change the past. But we are able to change the future." She said.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know what you mean." She whispered.

"Well for now, I'm stuck working for them, but once I can get enough information, I'm going to turn myself into the police." Piper whispered. "That's my plan. That's how we're going to get out of this."

Alex's brows drew together. "But who knows how long that's going to take." She said.

Piper took Alex's face in her hands, bringing their foreheads together. "This is our only chance right now. You have to trust me." She murmured. She looked into Alex's eyes softly, stroking Alex's cheek with her thumb. "Please." She whispered.

Alex sighed softly, holding onto Piper's wrists. "Alright." She responded.

Piper nodded. "Alright." She sighed softly and laid down on the bed, watching Alex as she sat on the side of the bed. Piper gently pulled Alex's wrists, pulling her down to lay next to her. She brushed the raven-black hair out of Alex's face and behind her ear. "Alex, we're going to get through this. I promise." She whispered, resting her hand against Alex's neck.

Alex sighed softly and shook her head. She couldn't help but take in Pipers appearance. She gently ran her fingers against the dark skin around Piper's eye, then down to her swollen lip. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

Piper ran her tongue across the swollen lip and smiled softly. "This isn't your fault." She murmured. She saw the worry in Alex's face and shook her head. "We'll get through this." She whispered.

Alex sighed softly. "I know." She muttered. She looked up at Piper, who had closed her eyes softly. "Piper?" she murmured.

"Mhm?" Piper asked.

"I love you." Alex whispered softly.

Piper smiled, opening her eyes and gazing at the taller woman. "I love you too." She responded. She softly kissed Alex as best she could with her swollen lip before resting their foreheads together and slowly falling asleep with their hands laced together.

**-X-**

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**Ta-da! Don't ask me where this is going to go, I honestly have no idea! Anyways, I love all of you amazing readers!**

**I own nothing!**


	7. Chapter 7

**-X-**

_Two months later:_

Things had almost gone back to normal for Alex and Piper, at least, as normal as they could have. Alex had regained a bit of her confidence back, but she still wasn't tough Alex that had left for Cuba. Piper had gone back to work, just for a sense of normality. Neither of them had heard anything from the new ring, and Kubra hadn't called either. Both of them were guessing that it was because Kubra had heard about the incidents involving the other ring, and that he probably didn't want to get involved. They continued settling into their new apartment, setting books into their proper places on the shelves, placing picture on the walls.

Alex was startled awake in the early hours of a Sunday morning by the shrill ring of their phone. Piper reached over and grabbed the wireless hand-set, bringing it to her ear and clicking it to life. "-Hello?" she muttered. Alex leaned towards Piper, trying to listen to the conversation that was going on. She watched as Piper nodded softly, listened as she murmured a soft "I'll be there," and then hung up. She threw the phone softly onto the carpeted floor and ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head and sighing loudly.

Alex rested her head on crossed arms, softly reaching out a hand and brushed Piper's hair aside. "They finally need you for something?" she whispered. Piper nodded. Alex's eyes searched Piper's face, trying to understand. "You want to tell me?" she asked softly. Piper shook her head. Alex bit her lip and let her fingers trail down Piper's cheek and onto the pillow underneath her. She nodded softly, rolling onto her side, facing away from Piper. She bit her lip, curling her knees up to her chest and sighing softly.

Piper looked over at Alex as she rolled over, instantly regretting her decision not to tell Alex what was going on. She rolled over closer to Alex, wrapping her arms around Alex's waist, brushing the black hair away from her neck and pressing soft kisses against the other woman's neck. Alex tensed up slightly and crossed her arms. Piper pulled away and rested her fingers against Alex's shoulder, urging her to roll to face her. "Alex, come on." She pleaded softly.

Alex sighed quietly and rolled to face Piper. She sighed and looked away from Piper. "I – I just want things to go back to normal." She murmured.

Piper sighed and nodded. They'd had that exact conversation time and time again, Alex voice her worries over and over about the flimsy plan that Piper had, and Piper kept assuring her that it would work. "I know." Piper responded. "But this is just temporary." She whispered. "You know that, right? We're going to get past this." She whispered.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know." She whispered. "Piper, they're bigger than Kubra, stronger. I don't think that they'd let you live even if you got enough to take the whole ring down with you. This thing is so much bigger than I'm used to." She whispered. Alex sighed once again and looked up into Piper's eyes. "Piper please," she pleaded. "I'm so scared." She whispered.

Piper shook her head. "So then what do you suggest we do?" she said, feeling her temper rising to the surface. "We've been through this over and over again." She said. She sat up abruptly and rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand. "This is our only way out of this." She said, looking down at Alex.

Alex sat up, crossing her legs and shaking her head. "This isn't our only option." She murmured.

Piper scoffed and shook her head. "What, run?" she bit her lip and shook her head sharply. "Alex, we can't. You said it yourself! They're too big, they'd find us anyways." She said.

Alex shook her head and looked away. "Doesn't mean we couldn't try." She hissed darkly.

Piper shook her head and stood up, pacing back and forth. "Listen," she said, leaning with her hands on the edge of the bed. "This is our best option. Our safest option." She said firmly. Alex crossed her arms and shook her head. Piper shook her head and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Alex, please, just listen to me. This is the only way I can keep you safe now. You have to do what I'm telling you." Alex let out a sharp breath and shook her head. She rolled back onto her side, her back facing Piper. Piper shook her head in return and sighed loudly. "Fine." She murmured. "I'll be in the guest room." She closed the door behind her, making her way down the hall and dropping rather ungracefully onto the bed. She sighed loudly and covered her head with one of the pillows, trying to get a few more hours of sleep before she met with the new ring to find out what they wanted her to do.

**-X-**

Piper's sleep was filled with images of guns and flying bullets, the sounds of screams, Alex pleading for her help. She woke with a start, jumping up slightly and calling out for Alex. She sighed loudly, laying back on the bed and running her hands through her hair. She cleared her throat and sat up once again, quickly throwing on some spare clothes that she hadn't managed to unpack and turning on the coffee maker. The conversation from the early morning ran through Piper's head, and in her mind's eye, she saw Alex laying back down and turning her back on her. Piper admitted to herself that it had stung, seeing Alex turn away from her.

She looked over to their bedroom door, noting that the door was still closed. She padded towards it, trying the doorknob, finding it locked. She knocked softly on the door, listening intently to see if she could hear anything on the other side. She knocked again and called through the door. "Alex?" she murmured. "Alex, please open the door." She said. Nothing. "Alex, listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we got into this mess, and I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you from this, but I'm trying my best to protect you from it now." She said. Nothing. Piper sighed and let her hand drop from the door. "Alex I'm leaving now. I'll see you in a while." She called.

Still nothing. She sighed and put on her shoes, making her way out to her car, her brain feeling fuzzy and pre-occupied. She drove to the address she was given, parking a few blocks away as she had been instructed and walked to a small park that was a few minutes away, meeting with the woman she had first met.

The woman gave a small smile and stuck out her hand. "I never properly introduced myself." She said. "Evette." She said.

Piper raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "What am I doing here?" she asked.

Evette sighed and dropped her hand. "For now, you're just going to observe. Once we think you're ready, you'll start as the muscle, then work your way up to my current position. Negotiator. At least, that's what we call it." She explained. Piper nodded once and crossed her arms. "Just stand back and watch." Evette explained.

Piper watched as another car rolled up and the business deal began.

**-X-**

Piper locked the front door behind her and slumped against it. This was going to be more work than she thought. They obviously didn't trust her, and it would definitely take them a long while before they would. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and sighed loudly. She pulled off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and pouring herself a generous amount in a tall glass. She downed it quickly, before noticing the door of the bedroom was still closed. She walked over to it and tried the knob again. Still locked. She banged on the door hard, calling through it. "Alex? Alex! Alex, open the door!" She tried the knob with two hands, not feeling any give. She took a few steps back and kicked at it a few times before it swung open.

Piper looked around the room, searched the closet, and then the bathroom, not finding any sign of her. She glanced over at the bed, seeing a white piece of paper folded and placed neatly on her pillow. She picked it up and opened it with shaking hands, fearfully reading it.

'_Piper-_

_By the time you get this, I'll be half way to my destination. I can't be under that ring. Not forcefully. You wouldn't be able to keep me safe. Your plan wasn't going to work. I'm sorry you ever got involved in this. _

_I wish I could've been stronger for you. I still love you Piper._

_I'm sorry._

_-Alex'_

Piper dropped to the floor, staring at the note. She was gone.

**-X-**

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**Okey doeky everybody! As always, reviews, comments, criticisms, your family's favourite recipes, everything is welcome here! This is a sharing space! Feel free!**

**I love all of you fucking amazing readers!**

**I own nothing!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I just gotta tell all of you who review are totally amazing! I read every single one, and you guys make me laugh! Like you moanzs, and ****Manveer, and bluepaintbox, and all of you who I haven't managed to mention, ****I love you all so much and I really want to say thanks for reading and encouraging me to continue with writing my stories!**

* * *

**-X-**

Piper stayed on the floor for what seemed like hours, days even. In reality she sat there for an hour and a half, staring at nothing, lost in shock and fear. She tried every different way of dealing with the situation, she told herself she was better off, which she didn't believe at all. She told herself that Alex would be back, that she wouldn't be able to stay away for long, but Piper knew that she was wrong. Alex had managed to look after herself for years before Piper, and it seemed like she had somehow managed to regain her old frame of mind, at least somewhat.

Piper kept looking down at the note, wondering how Alex reacted when she wrote it. Curious to know if she had even thought about how her girlfriend would react when she found the handwritten note. She ran her fingers across the words, tracing the familiar handwriting. She noticed small smudges in the ink, trails of dried tears across the page. She leaned against the bed that she and Alex had once shared, reading and re-reading the not over and over.

Piper shook her head and threw the note across the room, letting out a shrill scream as she did. She pulled at her blonde hair, allowing scream after scream to pass her lips, continuing until her throat was hoarse. She threw her head back and let out her last scream which turned into a coarse rasp that escaped her throat.

Finally, Piper managed to pick herself up off the floor, and carried herself to the kitchen, grabbing the whiskey bottle that she had poured from earlier that evening. Instead of grabbing a glass, she took the cap off the bottle and began chugging the drink, allowing it to scorch her throat as it slid down to her stomach. With each gulp of the alcohol, Piper's thoughts began to grow less and less rational, and after finishing over three quarters of the bottle, Piper stumbled out the door and began walking down the street.

At first, she didn't know where she was going, but she recognized the route. She continued along the route until she reached a house she found familiar. She stumbled up to the door, tripping up the steps and banged on the door, not realizing how late it was. "Diane!" she called out hoarsely. She rang the doorbell a few times, banging on the door at the same time. "Dian-e!" she hiccupped. She continued to bang on the door with her fists until a light turned on in the house.

The door opened, light hitting Piper's face, causing her to cover her eyes slightly. "Piper?" Alex's mother said, shaking her head slightly.

Piper pushed past Diane, stumbling across the threshold and looking around. "Where isshe?"

Diane shook her head. "Where is who?"

"ALEX!" Piper roared. "Where is Alex?"

Diane's face grew surprised at the volume of Piper's voice. Given how hoarse she sounded, Diane was surprised that Piper could speak at all, let alone yell. Diane shook her head, quickly closing the door behind them and leading Piper into the living room. She pushed Piper down onto the couch and sat down across from her on the coffee table. "Piper, I don't know where Alex is. I thought she was with you." She said calmly.

Piper pointed at Diane with an accusing finger. "B-bullshit!" she growled.

Diane took a breath and looked up at Piper. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

Piper shook her head. "I-I got home f-from an e-rrrrrand and there was anote. Frrom Alex." She sputtered. "Sheee-'s g-gonnne." She slurred.

Diane sighed loudly and shook her head. Knowing her daughter, if she wanted to run, it would take a long time and quite an amount of effort to find her. It wouldn't be easy. She looked back at Piper, who had dropped her head into her hands and begun sobbing softly. She rested her hand on Piper's shoulder and urged her to lay down on the couch. Piper allowed herself to be pushed back onto the couch, hands covering her face as Diane took a blanket from the back of the couch and covered the distraught woman. "Just rest for now." Diane murmured.

Piper nodded softly and pulled the blanket up over her nose, falling into a drunk, restless sleep.

**-X-**

Alex hadn't told anyone where she was going, and she had managed to get a hold of a very good fake passport for her travels. The cash she had stashed away in the apartment that she had shared with Piper was enough to take her wherever she wanted to go. That night, she had stayed up for hours, trying to think of each of the outcomes of Piper's plan, but all the outcomes that she thought of, all of them ended up in Piper ending up dead.

Alex knew that the only reason Piper was involved was because of her. She thought back to when they had first met, how innocent she was, how curious. Now, she had lost all of that. She wasn't innocent, and she wasn't curious anymore. Alex was angry at herself that she was the reason that Piper had lost those qualities. She thought maybe if she left, Piper might regain those qualities. Maybe if she left, the new ring would leave Piper alone, follow her instead.

After a few hours of puzzling thoughts, laying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling, Alex got up and began packing a small bag, throwing in a few clothes, the essentials that she would need and one picture of her and Piper. She considered leaving it behind, leaving everything behind, try to forget everything, everyone. It might be better that way, safer for them.

Alex was going to leave, not leave any sign of her absence, no message, no note, nothing. But something stopped her. Something made her take out a sheet of paper and pen and begin writing. She didn't realize she was crying until she had to wipe the tears of the page, smudging the writing. She folded the note, placing it on Piper's pillow and locked their bedroom door behind her before she left.

She didn't cry on her way to the airport. She didn't cry when she bought the ticket, not even paying attention to where she was going to land. She didn't cry through security or when she boarded. But as soon as she was in the air, that was when she started to cry. She could imagine the distraught look on Piper's face, the fear in her eyes, the frantic calling around, asking if anyone had seen her. She wanted to push the images from her mind, she wanted to, but she couldn't. Piper's face seemed to invade her mind, made her feel guilty. She sobbed quietly until she landed.

Alex finally managed to stop the tears, if only to grab her bag and get a cab. She recognized the language as French, and asked the cab driver to take her to a hotel in broken French. She stared out the window, not taking in the sights, not paying attention to where the cab driver took her. As soon as he stopped in front of a small hotel, Alex looked up at it. It was a simple building, and seemed nice enough. _Piper would like it. _Alex thought right away. She choked back a sob and paid the driver. Before getting out, she glanced back at him and asked what city she was in. The driver looked at her, slightly confused, before telling her the name of the city. "Paris."

**-X-**

Piper woke up on a couch she recognized slightly, covered by a blanket that smelled vaguely familiar. She lifted her head cautiously, peering over the back of the couch. Her head throbbed slightly but she saw the familiar figure of Diane Vause, working away in the kitchen. Piper groaned slightly as she remembered. She could see the note in her mind. The smudges in the ink. The grief flooded through her again.

She sighed and sat up, stumbling over her own tired feet into the kitchen and sitting at the island. "I'm sorry." Piper murmured.

Diane dished some food out onto a plate and passed it to Piper, sitting next to her. She sighed softly as she leaned her arms on the island and looked over at the guest in her home. "Do you love my daughter?" she asked quietly.

Piper looked at Diane and nodded softly. "I do." She murmured. "With everything I am."

Diane smiled softly, nodding. "Then, go find her." She whispered. "Because I know that she loves you. And somehow, this is her way of protecting you."

Piper smiled softly, feeling tears rising to her eyes again. "She didn't tell me where she was going. I don't know how to find her."

Diane shook her head. "That's never stopped anyone before." She said. She stood and walked away, leaving Piper to her breakfast.

**-X-**

* * *

**Will Piper be able to find Alex?! I guess we'll find out together! **

**Thanks to you fucking AMAZING, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL readers! You are the reason why I keep writing! I love you all! Seriously!**

**I own nothing. **


	9. Chapter 9

**-X-**

Piper said her goodbyes to Diane, hugging her tightly and assuring her that she would bring Alex home safely. Diane had tried to offer to drive Piper home, but Piper had insisted that she was fine to walk home on her own. She pulled out her phone as she walked and began flipping through her pictures. Most of her camera roll was images of her and Alex on different trips around the world, some pictures of them in their old apartment, and a few of Alex as she slept. Piper had once tried to pick a favourite picture of the two of them, but she couldn't do it. They all held the most beautiful memories. Trips to the beach, (when Piper couldn't stop staring at Alex in her bathing suit,) trips to different tourist attractions, when Alex slept, she always looked so peaceful, so calm. Piper could never manage to delete any pictures if Alex was in them.

Piper finally found her way home and began packing a small carry-on bag. Piper assumed that Alex would not have stayed in the United States, but Piper didn't know where she would go. Her best bet was to go to the airports and talk to security, see if anyone had seen her.

Piper took out the SIM card in her phone, telling herself that she would figure out a way to get another one when she found out where Alex had gone. Piper finished packing her bag and hailed a cab, instructing the driver to the nearest airport. Once the driver stopped she threw some money into the front seat and ran into the airport. She found her way to security, and found one security guard there.

"Hi, my name is Detective May Charles," Piper said quickly. She grabbed her phone and pulled up a picture of Alex. "I'm investigating the disappearance of this woman. I need to see any footage that you might have of her. She would have been here the night before last," She said. "It's very important that she is found."

The security guard was young, she seemed new. She looked up at Piper and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, sure." She muttered. She took another look at the photo and pulled up a new screen on the computer she was sitting in front of. She clicked through each frame individually before stopping and turning the screen to face Piper. "There." She murmured. She pointed at a tall figure standing at one of the counters.

"Where is that?" Piper asked urgently.

The security guard pointed over Piper's shoulder. "Just down there."

Piper nodded and ran down to the counter. She recognized a man who helped Alex buy her ticket. She showed him the picture, frantically asking where she went.

The man shrugged softly. "Paris." He explained. "Odd though, she said she didn't care where she went. She just wanted a ticket." He said.

Piper nodded. "One to Paris." She said.

**-X-**

The hotel that Alex had been brought to was a reasonably priced one, and with the funds Alex had with her, she would be able to stay for a while. The first day she was there, she stayed in her room and cried herself to sleep. She kept seeing Piper's face in her mind, with different ranges of emotion. Happy, and then sad, scared, and vulnerable, and angry. Her sleep was filled with nightmares. They would start out happy, with Alex and Piper at home or on a trip together. But from there they would turn into a horror story.

But Alex could never seem to wake up. She tried, over and over, and when she finally did, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly and terribly wrong. Her dreams scared her so much that she didn't want to leave the room for anything. But eventually, she had to. After two days she needed to get something to eat. She cautiously crept out of the room and found a small café two blocks away. She order a few sandwiches and took them back to her room, nearly running the entire way there.

She locked the door behind her and stayed in her room for the next three days, until a loud knock finally called her to the door.

**-X-**

Piper landed in Paris late that night. She managed to grab a cab and ask to be taken to a hotel. She would have to wait until the next morning to begin her search. The cabbie took her to an old hotel that looked beaten down and worn. She gave the cab driver some cash and grabbed her bag, making her way to the front desk.

She asked for a room in broken French, ignoring the desk-clerk's winks. She took the room key and began to head towards the stairs, when a thought occurred to her. She pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of Alex. She showed her phone to the desk clerk, sighing softly. "Avez-vous vu cette femme?" she asked quietly.

The man took a long look at the phone and shook his head. "Jamais vue." He said.

Piper sighed. "Merci." She murmured. She climbed the stairs to the top floor and found her room, opening the door and collapsing onto the bed. She fell asleep without even changing.

**-X-**

Piper woke up to the sun shining brightly in her face. She covered her eyes and turned to tell Alex to close the blinds. She reached out an arm, reaching nothing but the covers on the bed. She sat up, slightly panicked but suddenly remembered all the events of the previous days. She groaned loudly and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.

She took a fast shower and walked out of the hotel, beginning her search. She went from café to hotel to café again, showing Alex's picture to everyone she could talk to. She walked into the last café that day and showed the picture to the waitress.

"Oh, oui!" the waitress exclaimed. "She came in a few days ago. Ordered many, uh….sandwiches!" she said.

Piper's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Did you see which way she went?" Piper asked.

The waitress nodded and pointed towards the setting sun. Piper smiled and nodded. "Thank you! Merci!" she said, running in the direction that the waitress pointed. She ran into the first hotel she saw and pulled up Alex's picture again. She didn't even bother to try speaking French again. "I need to know her room number." She pleaded. "Please. I need to find her." Piper urged.

The desk clerk stared Piper down for a moment, considering what the best route to take would be. He nodded softly and wrote the room number down on a piece of paper.

Piper smiled widely and nodded. "Thank you! Thank you! Merci!" she shouted as she ran up the stairs. She ran down the hall, counting room numbers as she went, and almost running past the room. She stopped quickly and banged on the door, pleading silently for Alex to be in the room.

**-X-**

* * *

**Cliff hanger! Don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter right now, so you guys probably wont have to wait very long.**

**I own nothing.**


	10. Chapter 10 - edited

**EDIT: Taken down for some editing, then put back up, so no, this is not a new chapter at this point. Been a little busy, so I'll try to get it up soon!**

**Sorry! I really wanted to get this ****up sooner, but then life! Right? Right. Sorry!**

* * *

**-X-**

Alex opened the door slowly, peering through the small crack. The person had moved to the far side of the door, making sure that Alex couldn't see them when she first opened the door. She cautiously opened the door, sticking her head out the door. She jumped away from the door as someone pushed against it, throwing it open. Alex found herself grabbing a pen and holding it in front of her, as if it were a knife.

**-X-**

Piper hadn't realized that she had moved aside from the door. She saw the door creep open slightly, and then a bit more, and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She bit her lip and quickly pushed against the door, shaking her head slightly. She watched as Alex grabbed a pen and held it in front of her, fear still holding her in its grips. She took Alex's wrist in her hand, pulling the pen out of her fingers and grabbing Alex's shoulders.

She pressed a hot and furious kiss to Alex's lips, pulling away quickly and shaking her head. "You fucking idiot!" she hissed, pressing another kiss to the taller woman's lips. She pulled away again and shook Alex lightly. "You can't do that again!" she said frantically. She stared into Alex's eyes, searching for the assurance that she wouldn't run again. "You can't." Piper whispered firmly.

Alex's eyes filled with tears as she nodded. She melted into Piper's arms, wrapping her arms around Piper and kissing her fiercely again. Piper pushed away slightly and took Alex's face in her hands. "You can't!" she hissed, tears in her own eyes. "Promise me." She murmured.

Alex nodded. "I promise." She whispered in return, wrapping her fingers around Piper's wrists. She pulled Piper flush against her, kissing her furiously and pulling her back to the bed.

**-X-**

Piper gazed into Alex's face, brushing stray strands of hair that kept falling into her hair. Alex grabbed her hand, smiling softly and tracing shapes onto the palm of her hand with her fingertips. Alex sighed softly and linked their fingers together. "I thought I would feel safer on my own," she whispered. "But now that you're here…" she murmured. She pressed another kiss to Piper's lips, smiling softly.

Piper grinned softly and nodded. "Wherever you are, as long as we're together, it feels like home. And home is safe." She said simply.

Alex nodded gently and rested her head against Piper's bare chest. Her fingers found their way to Piper's side, softly writing illegible words on her skin. She sighed softly and bit her lip. Piper began chuckling softly, causing Alex to look up at the blonde with curiosity. "What?" she asked.

Piper shook her head, smiling. "Nothing it's just – after I found your note, I got totally drunk." She started. "Somehow, I managed to walk all the way to your mom's house, and woke her up." She paused. "I thought she might've known where you went." She said.

Alex smiled softly, looking back down at Piper's hand that was still wound with hers. "I thought about telling her." She whispered. "I actually really wanted to. But I thought that if no one knew, they'd be safer." She explained.

Piper shook her head. "We're safer together." She said.

Alex nodded. "I know that now." She whispered.

Piper let out a sigh. "Good. So what's our plan?" she asked.

"Plan?"

"Yeah, our plan. What are we going to do?" Piper asked.

Alex looked up at Piper again and shook her head. "I don't know." She murmured.

Piper nodded softly and wrapped her arms around Alex. "Don't be scared. We'll figure this out." She whispered. "Hey Alex?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I love you. With everything I am." Piper murmured softly.

Alex smiled. "And with everything I will be." The words seemed to flow through her. She knew what the response was, even though she hadn't practiced it. "I love you too." She wrapped her arms around Piper and listened to her heart. The steady beat. The security it represented.

Piper chuckled softly. "You know what's funny?" she whispered.

Alex shook her head. "What?"

"Out of all the cities that you could have gone to, somehow you picked the city of love." Piper murmured. "Even if it was by chance." She said.

Alex smiled softly and shrugged. "Maybe it was fate." She whispered.

Piper smiled. "Maybe." Piper pulled the blankets up over Alex's bare back, wrapping her arms around her once again. They both fell into a deep, restful sleep, and for the first time since they had been separated, neither of them had any nightmares.

**-X-**

_A week later:_

India. That's where they had decided to go. They had talked about it for a while and decided that it would be a good place for them to be. At least for a little while. All the cities had so many people, it would be hard for anyone to find them, even if they used their real names (which, they weren't going to, of course.)

It was somewhere that Piper had always wanted to go to, but never managed to get there. And with Alex's extensive travels, it was one of the only places that she wanted to go back to and re-visit. They had decided that they would stay just outside a small village near Kolkata. They had found a small, beautiful little house that was suitable for the two of them, and had arranged to stay for at least two weeks. They had informed the owner that plans might change suddenly, so they may either stay for a longer period of time, or leave abruptly.

The day before they were to depart from Paris, they went to the Eiffel Tower, looking down at the winding streets and pathways of the city, marveling at the architecture. Alex had looked down at the city and sighed softly. "You think we'll ever make it back here?" she asked quietly.

Piper smiled and nodded. "I think so." She said. She kissed Alex softly, caressing Alex's cheek with her thumb before pulling out her phone and opening her camera. "Come here." She whispered. She wrapped her arm around Alex's waist, pulling her close. She kissed her cheek softly and took a picture of the two of them standing in front of the rail, so it looked like they could have been flying. Alex smiled and grabbed the phone after the photo was taken, flipping through the images Piper had.

"You kept all these?" Alex asked, looking through the images of them at the beach, the two of them on different trips, standing in front of different monuments. Then she found the ones of her sleeping. "What are these?" she asked.

Piper shrugged. "I didn't have the heart to erase any of them." She whispered. "You're just so beautiful." She said.

Alex smiled and pressed another kiss to Piper's lips. "You're such a sentimental asshole." She said.

Piper grinned and took her phone back. "I'll take that as a compliment." She whispered. She took Alex's hand and led her back towards the stairs. "Come on, we've got a plane to catch." She said.

Alex grabbed Piper's other wrist and turned the blonde to face her. "Hey." She whispered. "I love you. With everything that I am." She said, recalling the words from that night.

Piper smiled and moved closer, placing her hands on Alex's hips. "And with everything that I will be. I love you too." She responded. She grinned softly and kissed Alex once more, pulling away slowly before they headed back to grab their things, and board a plane to India.

**-X-**

**Again Sorry, I was really expecting to get this up sooner, but writing can be hard for me when there are so many distractions at my house! And then I did my usual volunteer thing last night, so, anyways…..no more excuses! Get things up on time, N!**

**I think I'm gonna try and add some twists but I need some suggestions. Help me out guys? **

**I love you readers. SO MUCH! You are the reason I write! Welcome to new readers, welcome back old readers, I hope you enjoy! More to come soon…ish…..I think.**

**I own nothing!**


	11. Chapter 11

**-X-**

Piper and Alex got settled quickly into their small house quickly. It was large enough for the two of them and a few guests if they ever were to entertain guests, but neither of them had any thoughts of entertaining anyone for a while. They had gotten to know a few of the local neighbors, figured out where to get their groceries, a few spots to hang out. They found one spot that they frequented regularly, a wonderful shaded spot on a river bank a few minutes' walk from their house.

One day Alex packed a small picnic lunch and left a note on their kitchen counter for Piper to meet her down at 'their spot.' Alex was setting things up when someone covered her eyes. "Guess who?" a voice whispered. Alex wrapped her fingers around the wrists of her girlfriend, turning and dropping her arms down to Piper's waist. "Cheesy much?" Alex murmured.

Piper chuckled softly and shook her head, wrapping her arms around Alex's neck. "Well, I had to try." She said, shrugging. She looked down at a small blanket that Alex was setting up. "What's this for?" she asked.

Alex shrugged and pulled Piper to sit down with her on the blanket. "I dunno. I guess I just wanted to do something nice for you." She said, brushing a few strands of blonde hair out of Piper's face. She sighed softly. "I was expecting to have a bit more time to get everything set up for you," she said, smiling softly. "But it doesn't matter."

Piper smiled softly, holding Alex's hand against her cheek. "This is wonderful." She murmured. She pressed a kiss to Alex's lips, pulling away slowly and gazing softly into her eyes.

Alex smiled, returning the gaze before grabbing the picnic basket and pulling out a few things for them to eat. She laid out some bread, cheese, grapes and some cookies that Alex had managed to find at the store a few days before.

Piper grabbed the grapes and laid back staring up at the sky. She looked over at Alex and patted the ground next to her. Alex smiled and laid down next to her, fitting her head in the crook of Piper's neck. Piper pulled off a grape and pressed it to Alex's lips. Alex rolled her eyes, grinning and taking the grape in between her teeth. "You're so cheesy." Alex murmured as she ate the grape.

Piper chuckled softly and nodded. "But you love me anyways." She whispered.

Alex looked up at Piper and nodded. "I do." She said.

Piper pressed a kiss to Alex's forehead and wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulders. She looked up at the sky and smiled. "That one looks like broccoli." She said, laughing softly.

Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. She pointed up at one with her free hand, the other hand holding onto Piper's. "Well, that one looks like a horse." She said.

Piper grinned. "That one looks like an owl."

"That one looks like ….a….blob…." Alex said, laughing suddenly.

Piper laughed and shook her head. "You're such a goof." She said.

Alex grinned. "So you're cheesy and I'm a goof." She murmured. "We make a great couple." She laughed, looking up at Piper.

Piper nodded. "We do." She whispered. She rolled onto her side and turned Alex's head to kiss her.

Alex rolled onto her own side and captured Piper's face in her hands. Piper grinned softly and pulled away from Alex momentarily. "So, you just packed this so you would have a reason to make out with me in our favourite spot, right?" Piper said.

Alex narrowed her eyes and sneered slightly. "Yes, that's exactly what I was doing." She said sarcastically. She sat up, pulling a grape off its stem and tossing it at Piper.

Piper batted the grape aside with the back of her hand and sat up, grabbing a piece of bread and tearing it into pieces, gently throwing the bread at Alex. Alex laughed and continued chucking grapes at Piper until she ran out. She held up her hands in front of her and covered her face. "Truce! Truce!" she said. She peered through her fingers after she felt the barrage of bread stop, smiling softly. Piper threw one last piece of bread at Alex, laughing at Alex as the taller woman covered her face again.

Alex shook her head and tackled Piper over, pushing her onto her back and pressing another kiss to her lips. Piper laughed and wrapped Alex's hair around her fingers, her other hand pressed against Alex's cheek. They stayed in each other arms until the sun began to set, and they watched the horizon change colours.

They finally headed back to their house, arms wrapped around each other as they dropped the stuff in the kitchen. Piper took Alex's hands in hers, linking their fingers together and pulling her back towards their bedroom. Alex smiled softly, following after her, biting her lower lip. She released Piper's hands and rested them against her face, her thumb tracing across Piper's cheekbone. She pressed a whisper of a kiss against Piper's lips, pausing momentarily to take off her glasses before pulling Piper flush against her.

They pulled of each garment slowly, tossing them into the wind. They made love slowly, with all the pent up passion, and fear, and all the love they had in every molecule of their bodies.

**-X-**

Alex laid on her stomach, head resting on her crossed arms as Piper traced words onto her back that were lost on her skin. Alex opened her eyes, sighing softly as she looked up at Piper. Piper sighed softly and continued tracing words onto her girlfriend's back. "What are you thinking about?" she whispered.

Alex smiled softly and shook her head. "…life." She whispered. "You, and me. The future."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Alex shook her head. "I mean….when I see my future, all I can see is you." She whispered. "Whatever happens, you're there." Alex shook her head and laughed softly. "Now who sounds cheesy?" she asked, shrugging off her statement.

Piper shook her head. "No…" she murmured. "Sounds perfect." She said. She continued trailing her finger against the soft skin on Alex's back. "You know what I'm writing on this beautiful canvas underneath my fingers?" she asked. She watched as Alex shook her head. Piper smiled. "I'm writing everything that I love about you. I love how strong that you can be, and how loving you are. I love that you're kind. And that you're beautiful, and smart, and amazingly funny." She murmured. "But one thing that I keep writing is love. Because I love you so much." She whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Alex's lips again.

Alex grinned and shook her head slightly. "So now you're the goofy one too." She said. Piper rolled her eyes and shoved Alex's shoulder gently. Alex laughed and smiled up at the blonde woman. "Piper, I want to make it up to you." She said. "Piper, I want you to be my wife." She said.

Piper's eyes grew wide, her mouth dropping open slightly as she shook her head. "Alex – I, I don't know what to say." She whispered. She laid down next to Alex and stared into her eyes, brushing the black hair out of Alex's face. She sighed softly and gazed at her for a while. Alex was holding her breath the whole time before Piper smiled and nodded. "Yes." She murmured. "I'll be your wife if you'll be mine." She said.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Deal." She said with a straight face. She grinned and laughed, her smile growing wider. "So we're both cheesy and goofy now." She said. Piper rolled her eyes and smiled over at Alex.

**-X-**

* * *

**Thanks again for reading! Sorry that this took so long to get up. I started a new job recently and my anxiety has been really over-blown lately so I've been putting it off for so long! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and will continue to see what adventures that Piper and Alex go on after this point. I don't really have anything in mind, just some skeletons of ideas, so if you guys want to suggest anything, I would love to hear from you!**

**Thanks everyone. Love you SO much! **

**-N**


	12. Chapter 12

**-X-**

Neither of them had expected the proposal. The thought hadn't even really crossed Alex's mind before she said it. She just – said it. She didn't feel the need to think about it, it just felt right. So they just laid there all night, talking quietly, commenting on how goofy and cheesy they both were. They fell asleep listening to each other.

Alex woke the next morning, Piper's arm wrapped around her waist. She pulled away slowly, getting dressed and making her way out of their little house. Since they moved in, they hadn't found too much time to be able to do much grocery shopping, and the picnic she had packed was all the food that they had in the house at the time. The local market was a twelve minute walk from their house, Alex had timed it a few days earlier. She walked out into the morning sunshine, hearing the birds chirping cheerily in the trees.

Alex walked to the market, thinking back to the night before every so often, feeling a heat rush to her cheeks. She would brush the thoughts aside, tell herself, _'Later.' _By the time she reached the market she had told herself that same thing more times than she would care to remember. She busied herself with finding the groceries that she thought would be good. She remembered some of the different dishes she had tried last time she was in India.

Alex was finding the last groceries she thought they would need when someone came and stood next to her. "Glad to see that you're alright." The voice was familiar, deep, but unnerving at the same time. Alex glanced out of the corner of her eye and cracked her knuckles nervously.

"I'm surprised to see you here." Alex responded, hiding the nervousness from her voice. "But I'm more surprised that you didn't find me sooner." She murmured, grabbing the last thing she needed. She handed over the money she had brought with her and turned to leave.

"Well, I thought that you were still at home. I did give you some time off to deal with things." Kubra murmured, matching her pace and walking next to her.

Alex nodded. "I remember." She said.

"Well, you could imagine my surprise when my calls went unanswered. And when no one was home when I went to go check on you."

Alex shrugged, keeping her gaze forwards.

Kubra narrowed his eyes and let out a loud sigh. "But still, I never thought that you'd be the one to abandon your family."

Alex narrowed her eyes and looked over at the man. "Family?" she murmured.

Kubra nodded. "Yes. You of all people should know this. You join a ring, they become your family." He said.

Alex shook her head. "You aren't my family anymore."

"Now why's that? We've been kind to you. We've kept you safe. Did you lose faith in us?"

Alex stopped and turned to face Kubra. "Yes." She snapped. "Yes I did. I lost faith in you the minute you allowed one of ours to be shot in the middle of the day in a crowded café. And then whatever faith I had regained for you, was shattered once you didn't even notice a new ring stalking me!" she hissed.

Kubra sighed and pulled a gun out from the waistband of his jeans. He pointed it at her stomach and shook his head. "You think I didn't know?" he asked. "You think that I wasn't aware of everything that went on? I know exactly what happened. You and your little skank of a girlfriend caved. You abandoned your family."

Alex tensed slightly and shook her head. "You don't scare me." She said. She turned and began walking again.

Kubra sighed and fired over Alex's shoulder, aiming wide. He watched as the tall woman jumped and turned to face him. He aimed it at her stomach again and shook his head. "Next one goes right through you." He said. He motioned with his head for her to keep walking. "Now, let's go have a conversation." He said.

**-X-**

Alex walked through the door nervously, dropping what she had been carrying by the door. She spotted Piper in the kitchen, humming quietly to herself.

"I'm glad your back," Piper said. "I assume that you went out to grab some food, because we've got nothing in our cupboards." Piper laughed. She turned and spotted Alex, the fear on her face. "Alex –whats-"

Kubra waltzed through the door, slamming it shut behind him and pressing the gun into Alex's back. He held onto Alex's arm and smiled at the woman in the kitchen. "Good to see you again Piper." He said with a smile.

Piper walked slowly out of the kitchen and held out her hand to Alex. "We're not going anywhere." She said. "Let Alex go."

Kubra narrowed his eyes, analyzing the situation before pushing Alex towards Piper and motioning towards the couch. "Please," he said. "Have a seat."

Piper stood in front of Alex, clutching the taller woman's hand in her own. She walked towards the couch and sat down slowly, positioning herself in front of Alex, facing Kubra as he sat in the chair adjacent to the two women. He leaned back and stared at the two for a while, the gun still pointed at them. After a long while, he sighed and shook his head. "You know, for a long time, I considered you to be one of my favourite colleges." He said to Alex. "I thought that we could get past what happened, get back to normal. But then you went to them." He said. "You betrayed me." He laughed. He pointed the gun at the two women and shook his head. "I can't let this one go."

Alex held her hands in front of her quickly. "Wait! Wait – please!" she said. She looked at Piper and shook her head. "I'm sorry." She murmured. She sighed and stood. "What if I get information for you?" she asked.

Kubra narrowed his eyes. "What kind of information?" he asked.

Alex shook her head and shrugged. "Whatever I can get my hands on." She said.

Kubra cocked his head to one side and thought for a few moments. "Alright." He said, after what felt like the longest time. "Whatever you can get your hands on." He said. He nodded. "Deal." Alex let out a sigh of relief. "I'll need you back in two weeks." Kubra said. He stood and put the gun away, smiling at the two women. "I'll see you back in the good ol' US of A."

The two women watched fearfully as he left, slamming the door behind him again. Alex dropped back onto the couch, covering her face in her hands. "God help us." She murmured.

Piper shook her head. She dropped her head and began wringing her hands. After the longest moments, she shook her head and took Alex's hands in hers. "We'll be okay." She said.

Alex ripped her hands away from Piper. "How do you know that?!" she snapped. "You can't know that! Nothing is alright!" she hissed.

Piper's mouth opened and closed a few times before she shook her head. "You're right." She murmured softly. "I don't know for sure that we're going to be alright. But this is how I have to survive now. I have to keep hoping."

Alex shook her head. "What has hope ever gotten anyone?" she snarled.

Piper dropped her head again and sighed. "I'm going to go for a walk." She murmured. "I think we both need some space right now." She said.

Alex watched as Piper's form left their house, providing the space that they both needed, but neither of them wanted.

**-X-**

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**Thanks for all the reviews and sticking with me you guys! **


	13. Chapter 13

**-X-**

After Piper left, Alex became frantic. She threw things, screaming, yelling, cursing Kubra, cursing Piper, and even cursing herself for becoming entangled in everything once again. When she ran out of things to throw, she dropped back onto the couch and sobbed loudly for the longest time. Finally she managed to stop, to look around herself at what she had done. Pictures with their frames shattered, little trinkets that were once so cheery were strewn around the little place, broken. Alex sighed and busied herself with cleaning the mess she had created, placing the objects that could be fixed onto the coffee table, pulling photos out of their broken frames, laying them on the table as well.

She swept up the glass, and set to repairing whatever could be repaired. She glued pieces back together and put the photos in albums until she could get new frames. As she stared at the photos she was putting in the albums, she remembered the words that Piper had said to her the night before.

'_I love how strong that you can be, and how loving you are. I love that you're kind. And that you're beautiful, and smart - I love you so much.'_

The words reverberated in Alex's head, repeating over and over, as if she was listening to a broken record. Alex found herself walking into their bedroom, and sitting on Piper's side of the bed. She laid down, burying her face against Piper's pillow, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. She wrapped her arms around the object and brought it to her chest, waiting for Piper to come home.

**-X-**

Alex heard someone crash into the couch, wincing and giggling softly. The voice was Piper's, and she was very obviously drunk. She shushed the couch and stumbled into their bedroom, sitting on Alex's legs before jumping up and laughing. She kneeled down to Alex's level and giggled softly. "S-ssorry I'm la-te…!" she slurred, giggling softly. "I want-tted to rrreellllaaaxxx…" she said loudly.

Alex smiled softly and shook her head. She sat up and gently eased Piper onto their bed. She pulled Piper's shirt over her head and pushed her to lay back on the bed.

Piper held up a hand and hiccupped. "Hey, att leassst buy me a d-drink frist-first!"

Alex shook her head. "I think you've had quite enough for one night." She murmured softly.

Piper grinned. "Yourrr voice isss familiar." She murmured, giggling yet again. "I know!" she shouted, trying to sit up again. "Alex, my beautiful Alex. SSo sssmart, and beautiful and ssmart!" she exclaimed. Alex just nodded. She pulled Piper's jeans off and pulled the covers over the drunk woman. "Allllex, I need to to to tt-tell you somet-hing." She yawned.

Alex nodded and brushed off Piper's comment. "Sure Pipes, just let me get you some water." She said. She went into the kitchen and turned on the tap, running it till the water turned cold, probably leaving it on longer than she should have if she was being honest. She brought the water to Piper, who had somehow managed to almost completely pass out in the time it took for Alex to get the water. Alex sighed softly and left the water on the side table, curling up beside the passed-out Piper and wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist.

**-X-**

Alex felt Piper pull her glasses off, brushing the hair away from her face, hearing Piper sniff softly. Alex opened her eyes slowly, looking into Piper's face. She was crying softly, still tucking the hair behind Alex's ear, shaking her head slowly. "I'm such an idiot." She murmured. "I'm a terrible person."

Alex shook her head, brushing the tears off of Piper's cheeks with her thumb. "Hey, whatever it is, it'll be alright." She murmured. "If we can get through Kubra and the new ring, we can do anything." She said. She smiled softly and caressed Piper's cheek softly. "Just go back to sleep. You'll feel better when you've got the alcohol out of your system." She murmured.

Piper shook her head. "Alex, it's not the alcohol." She sobbed quietly. She sat up and held her head in her hands.

Alex sat up and turned so she could face the blonde woman. "Piper, it's going to be okay. Whatever it is." She assured her.

Piper shook her head. She took a few deep breaths before looking up at Alex. "Alex, I slept with someone else."

Alex's mouth opened and closed a few times, her eyes wide with shock. Piper grabbed Alex's hands. "Please, Alex, it meant nothing. I was drunk, and angry and I wasn't thinking at all, I just-" She was cut off as Alex freed one of her hands and slapped her. Piper raised a hand to her cheek and shook her head. "Alex I love you." She pleaded.

Alex shook her head and stood. Her mind was in a fog, she could hear Piper calling out for her, telling her to come back, that they needed to talk, that whoever it was meant nothing, that she was the one that she loved, but all the words that came out of Piper's mouth sounded as if they were being spoken in another language.

Alex all but ran out the front door, tearing down the little footpath that lead to their house, and down the road. She was running aimlessly, letting her feet carry her away from what had become a nightmare.

**-X-**

She woke by the river, sitting against a tree near the edge of the water. The sun was just rising into the sky, throwing colours across the canvas that would eventually turn blue. She pulled her knees up to her chest and shivered slightly as the memories threw themselves at her, reminding her of the terrible things that had happened. The way Kubra had barged his way back and somehow managed to bring them back into both rings, the way that Piper had gone from being her fiancé to becoming a stranger in record time, and the way that everything in her life had shattered all at once.

**-X-**

* * *

**I found a new twist for things! You guys probably hate me right now, right? Right. Oh well, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. See you next time! Don't forget to let me know what you think! Love you awesome readers! –N**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update, yet again! I've had writers block and work and volunteering. I'm a busy bee. I hope you guys are still with me on this one, and I hope this chapter makes up for being so lazy with updates!**

* * *

**-X-**

Alex watched as the sun rose against the sky. She had left without her glasses, so all she could see was a bright white blur against the blue sky, dappled with clouds every so often. She watched the shadows grow and shrink with the sun, lost in her own mind, staring blankly at nothing. She knew she would eventually have to go back, to face Piper. She hadn't brought anything with her. She had left without her shoes, without her glasses, and without any money.

Eventually, she stood and shoved her hands in her pockets, walking along the dirt road back to the little house that she and Piper shared. When she finally reached it, she took a long, deep breath before opening the door and walking in. She walked through the door and straight back to the bedroom, opening the closet and searching through the mess of clothes for her luggage.

Piper had originally tried to follow Alex, ran after her as fast as she could. But she had been hung-over, and her head was spinning and pounding, she couldn't follow for long. She had sat on the couch, staring at the door all night, waiting for her to come back. She let out a sigh of relief as Alex walked through the door. She watched as Alex ignored her completely, and headed into the bedroom to pack. Piper stood behind her, arms crossed, watching. "Where are you going?"

Alex hesitated slightly at Piper's words. She sounded so hurt, so worried, so frightened. Alex felt anger bubbling up to the surface. She shook her head and pulled out a bag for her things. She threw it onto the ground forcefully and began throwing her clothes into it, sleeves and pants spilling over the side. She hated the tone of Piper's voice, how wounded she sounded. If anyone should have been hurt, it definitely should have been Alex. She moved from the closet to the dresser, pulling out her t-shirts, throwing anything of Piper's aside.

Piper stood next to her. "Alex," she pleaded. "Alex, please. We need to talk about this. We can't just leave things like this." She said.

Alex felt tears falling down her cheeks, she brushed them away fiercely, clenching her jaw shut. She moved away from Piper and went to grab her glasses, pushing them onto her nose and finally turning to face the blonde woman.

There were tears on Piper's cheeks, her eyes were puffy and red, and Alex could tell she had been chewing on her bottom lip from worry. Alex's anger grew to rage, her hands balled into fists as she shook her head. "You-" she murmured. She shook her head again. "I can't believe you!" she snarled. "We were finally getting past things! I was finally getting over what happened in Cuba, and I needed your help to do it!" she said, her voice growing louder. "But this-" she scoffed, shaking her head once more and turning away.

Alex grabbed a few more of her things, throwing them into the suitcase. She went back to the dresser and rifled through the drawers, pulling out her passport and shoving it into her back pocket. She looked back at Piper, shaking her head. "There's nothing else to talk about." She muttered. She zipped the suitcase shut and headed towards the door.

Piper stood in the doorway, staring up at Alex. "We can't leave things like this." She murmured. "I can't lose you again. Please," she begged. "You're all I have left."

Alex bit her lip, tears in her eyes again. "You should have thought of that before." She said, crying. She pushed past Piper and grabbed her shoes, pulling them on and opening the door. She looked back at Piper one more time.

Piper had slumped onto the floor, her arms limp at her sides, mumbling softly. "I'm so sorry." Over and over. She looked up at Alex as she opened the door and gave a weak smile. "I'll always love you." She said clearly.

Alex dropped her head and walked out into the afternoon sunlight. Closing the door, she wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. She knew it was going to be a long walk to the small airport that would take her to the larger airport that would take her back to the states.

**-X-**

Alex fell asleep on the flight back. She woke as they were preparing to land. Once she got off the plane, she caught a cab, giving them the first address that came to her mind. She watched the familiar sights pass by, local shops, little theaters, restaurants. Alex found herself thinking of Piper again. On the plane she had dreamed about the blonde woman, what their lives would have been like together.

Alex rubbed at her red eyes, no longer crying. She had cried all she possibly could cry. Once the driver stopped, she walked up to the house and knocked on the door. As it swung open, she gave a weak smile. "Hi mom." She murmured.

"Alex." Diane said. She took Alex's shoulder and pulled her inside. "You're back." She said, smiling. She pulled her daughter into a hug, holding her for a long while. After a while she pulled away and looked up at her. "So, how was your trip? Did Piper find you?" she asked.

Alex's face fell. "Yeah, she found me." She whispered, looking down at the ground.

Diane's face grew confused. She shook her head and pulled Alex towards the couch, holding her daughter's hands in her own. "What happened?" she asked.

Alex shook her head and bit her lip. She took a deep breath and relayed the entire story to her mother. But as she told Diane about the past few days, the tears began to fall once again.

Diane listened, pulling Alex in for a hug once she began crying. "Oh Al." she whispered. She gently rocked her daughter like she did when Alex was a little girl, stroking her hair softly. She pulled back and lifted Alex's head, wiping Alex's tears away from her cheeks softly. "Listen, Piper made a mistake. A major one." She said. "But, when Piper was here, she showed me that she loved you. She convinced me. I think, that this is just a little bump in the road." She said.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know how we would get over this 'bump in the road.'" She whispered, sniffling slightly. "I can't see myself ever forgiving her." She said.

"But-" Diane murmured.

Alex sighed. "But I still love her. No matter how much she hurts me. I still love her." She whispered.

Diane nodded. "I know you do. And I know she loves you too. Maybe you two just need some time apart right now." She said.

Alex sighed and nodded. "I need to get a few things from our apartment, but I can't stay there." She said. "I don't know when Piper is going to get back, but I can't stay there." She looked up at her mother. "Can I stay here for a while?" she asked.

Diane smiled at her daughter. "Of course." She murmured. She looked around the house. "I have the room, and besides, you gave me the money for this place, it's only fair that I allow you to stay here for a little while." She said, smiling slyly at Alex.

Alex shook her head, grinning slightly. "Thanks mom." She whispered.

**-X-**

* * *

**I am so sorry you guys! I know I suck! Haha! Anyways, I think I have a little bit of any idea of where I'm going from here, or at least an inkling of what I want to do. **

**Thanks for reading you guys! I love you all, and I would love to hear what you guys think, or if you have any suggestions, that would be amazing! I just want all of you to know, I read all of your reviews, and I take them all into consideration when I'm writing. So even if I don't mention you by name, know that I appreciate you all SO MUCH! You guys are so amazing! 3**

**-N**


	15. Chapter 15

**-X-**

_Two weeks later_

Alex hadn't seen or heard anything from Piper since she had left India. She had managed to gather most of her belongings and bring them to her mom's without too much trouble. She'd had a call from Evette, from the new ring, as well as Kubra.

Evette had wanted to know what was going on. When she called, she sounded very angry, furious even. Almost yelling on the other end. Apparently it was her head on the line if Alex and Piper didn't show up. After Evette was finally finished yelling, she explained that Alex needed to be available the next day, for a meeting that Evette had set up. She explained that Evette would take care of the meeting, and Alex would observe. The next time Alex would be called in, she would be taking Evette's place instead.

Alex had calmly agreed, ensuring Evette that she would be ready to meet her at a local diner early in the afternoon the next day. As soon as Alex hung up the phone she pulled out a small burner cell that Kubra had bought for her, texting him that everything was ready to go, that she would text him after she was done and tell him what she could. All Kubra sent as a response was 'K.'

Alex sighed as she stared at the phone, finding herself longing to dial another number. Soon enough, her fingers were dancing across the keypad again, lifting the phone to her ear, her hand shaking slightly.

"Hello?" The voice came through the phone clear as crystal, but to Alex the voice still sounded distant. "Hello? ….Alex-?" Piper murmured softly. Alex heard Piper sigh softly on the other line. "Before you hang up on me, I love you." She whispered.

Alex bit the inside of her cheek and quickly snapped the phone shut. She dropped the phone onto the bed beside her and rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on her arms and staring out the window. _I love you. _The words rattled around in her mind as memories flooded back into her mind. Her heart ached slightly as she remembered every smile, every kiss, every touch they shared. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed Piper immensely.

**-X-**

Alex stood on the corner outside of a local diner, waiting for Evette to pull up. She saw the dark car pull around the corner and stop in front of her. Alex walked around to the passenger's side door and nodded at Evette. "Let's go."

Evette nodded, threw the car in drive and began driving towards the less popular end of town. She looked over at Alex, who was staring, stone-faced out the side window.

"Have fun on your little trip?" Evette said, slightly sarcastic.

Alex rolled her eyes, letting her breath out through her nose loudly.

Evette chuckled softly. "Come on. It couldn't have been that bad. You seem to be pretty much back to your old self. The strong, independent Alex Vause that everyone has heard about." She said. "And besides, you got to spend some time with that little chick of yours, right?"

Alex looked over at the other woman, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Not that it's any of your business, but things did not go as planned." Evette raised an eyebrow. "We broke up." Alex muttered.

Evette shrugged. "Not that this'll be any comfort, but she didn't seem like your type anyways. At least, in my opinion." She said. Alex shrugged and went back to looking out the window. They drove in silence the rest of the way until Evette pulled into the lot of an old shop. Evette looked over at Alex. "You ready?" she asked. Alex sighed slightly and nodded.

**-X-**

Alex left the building, walking slightly behind Evette. The meeting had gone well, it was basically the same thing Kubra had her do when she worked for him. The other people they were meeting with had left a while ago, but Evette had wanted to talk to Alex a bit, make sure that she was alright with everything. Alex had assured her that she knew what she was going to do.

Evette nodded. "Good." She said. She smiled slightly and gestured towards the way they had come in. "Can I give you a ride back?" she asked.

Alex shook her head. "No, thanks." She said calmly. "I have an errand to run out this way anyways."

Evette nodded. "Alright. I'll call you when we need you." She said.

Alex nodded. She watched Evette climb into her car, give a wave, and drive off down the street. Then Alex began walking, first she was aimlessly wandering, making sure that she wasn't being followed. She stopped at a few stores, just in case someone was watching her. After about two hours of walking she finally found her way to the apartment building that she and Piper had shared. She reached into her pocket for the key and made her way up the stairs and into the familiar apartment.

Piper hadn't changed anything. There were still empty spaces on the shelves from when Alex took her things to her mom's. She closed the door behind her and looked around. "Piper?" she called out. There was no answer. Alex could tell that Piper had been home, and fairly recently. There was fresh food in the fridge, and freshly folded laundry in a basket on the table. Alex sighed softly and sat down on the couch.

**-X-**

Alex had slumped down on the couch, and fallen asleep. She woke up to see someone sitting in front of her on the coffee table. She sat up slowly and readjusted her glasses. She took a deep breath and looked up at Piper. "I'm ready to talk. But just talk." She said clearly.

Piper nodded. "That's fine." She said quietly.

**-X-**

_One week later_

Alex and Piper had agreed to be friends. They had talked about it. Alex knew how sorry Piper was, but she was still hurt. She wanted to be able to forgive Piper, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, at least not then. Piper knew that she had a long way back to where they had once been, and she knew that it was possible that they would never get back to the same place. But she was going to do whatever she could. All she needed was the slightest chance.

Piper was sitting in a small coffee shop, waiting for Alex. They had agreed to meet up for coffee and talk for a while. Piper smiled widely as she saw Alex walk in. She waved at Alex and watched her sit down at the table.

Alex smiled softly at Piper, shrugging off her jacket and crossing her arms. "How are you?" she asked.

Piper smiled and shrugged. "I've been better. How's your mom?" she asked.

"Good. She's taking some time off so we can spend some more time together."

"That's great." Piper said. She smiled and looked down at her hands. "You know how sorry I am, right?" she asked.

Alex sighed and nodded. "Yes Piper, you tell me every time I see you." She said, looking down at the table.

Piper nodded. "I just need you to know that."

Alex smiled softly. "I do." She reached out a hand and gently ran her thumb across Piper's knuckles. "I know that." She murmured.

Piper smiled. "I'm glad."

**-X-**

* * *

**Will this be a new beginning?! Who knows? Oh wait, I do! I'm working on the next chapter right now, so don't worry, it probably won't be too long before the next chapter comes out. But for now, I'll just keep you all in suspense. **

**Mwahahaha! Love you readers! - N**


	16. Chapter 16

**-X-**

_Three months later_

Alex had finally reached a place where she felt like she had gained the trust of the new ring, but that left her with a new problem. Even though she had gained the trust of the new ring, they hadn't been giving her much to give Kubra. But if Alex was being honest with herself, she wasn't fully sure if she wanted to tell Kubra anything.

The new ring, (which she had learned was called Snow and Ice for some reason) could probably protect her from Kubra. In fact, if she said that Kubra was fishing for information, she probably wouldn't hear anything from Kubra ever again. But if Kubra didn't get enough information soon, he would probably be after her before she could let anyone know.

Alex was usually able to push the thoughts from her mind until Kubra would text her on the burner cell, demanding new information. Alex had a small amount of information that she felt wasn't totally relevant, but that would tie Kubra over, at least for a little while.

Alex was sitting at home when she got a call from Evette. After getting to know the woman, she had learned she wasn't all that bad, even though she had beaten both Alex and Piper. Alex still had her reserves about the woman, but she still considered her to be a friend, even a distant one at least.

Alex picked up the phone curiously. "Hey. Need me somewhere?"

Evette's voice came through the phone. "No. I wanted to know if you wanted to get some coffee. They wanted me to let you know about a few things that were changing around Snow and Ice." She said.

"Oh, sure. Where?"

**-X-**

Alex had met Evette in the coffee shop. They had talked business for two and a half hours, then started just talking about life in general. Evette asked about Alex's mom, she had asked about Piper, how things were going. Alex explained what she and Piper had decided, that they were just going to be friends, at least for a while. Alex, in turn, asked what they had Piper doing. The other woman explained that they still had Piper observing, that she wasn't catching on as quickly as they thought she would. Alex nodded. She knew that Piper had never really wanted to be in the business that they were in, Alex didn't see her trying too hard at figuring out what to do in those situations. But she didn't want to let Evette know that.

The two women talked for a few hours until Alex suggested that they grab a bite to eat. Evette had smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sure. There's this little bar and grill place a couple blocks down. Is that good with you?" she asked.

Alex grinned slightly and nodded. "Yeah. Sounds great." She said.

**-X-**

The two women had each had at least five drinks. Alex, being taller and having a bit more weight, was a bit more sober than Evette, but only slightly. The two women were laughing loudly, shushing each other as the waiter brought them the bill.

Evette snatched the bill away from Alex as the taller woman went to reach for it. She wagged it in front of Alex's face and laughed loudly. "This, it's my treat." She said, a drunken slur to her words. "Because you've been having hard times." she pouted slightly and giggled at the taller woman.

Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Whatever." She mumbled. She watched as Evette laid enough money on the table and grabbed her jacket. She checked her phone for the time, noticing that she had two texts, one from her mother, and one from Piper.

Her mom had asked her to pick up milk when she got the chance. Piper had wanted to know if Alex wanted to go get dinner. Alex had never felt the phone vibrate in her pocket. She dismissed both texts quickly and wrapped an arm around Evette's shoulders. "I don't live very far. When we get there, I'll call you a taxi." She assured her.

Evette smiled. "Aww, how s-sweet!" she slurred.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She muttered. They walked slowly back towards Alex's, stopping every so often when Evette seemed to lose her footing. By the time they reached the door, Alex was almost fully supporting Evette.

Evette slumped against Alex's door as the taller woman searched for her keys. "You know, your ex really, really, really doesn't deserve you." She said. She took a step closer to Alex. "She's an idiot." She rested her hands on Alex's face and smiled up at her. "And she isn't doing very well." She continued. "My bossseseses, they say if she doesn't catch on soon, she's out.

Alex shook her head, rolling her eyes. "You're drunk. I'm drunk. We're both so drunk." She laughed, but the words the Evette was saying hit close to home. She made a note that once Evette was gone, she had to call Piper and let her know what was going on. Alex straightened up and unlocked the door, closing it behind Evette as she came inside. The place was dark and quiet. Evidently Diane had not found her way home.

Evette looked around the house, spinning around a few times to see everything. "Wow. This place is awesome! You bought it for your mom, right-t?" she hiccupped.

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Why don't you sit down and I'll call you a cab." She said.

Evette nodded and sat on the couch, watching Alex as she grabbed the phone and ordered a cab for the other woman. Once the cab was ordered, Alex sat down next to Evette. "They said twenty minutes."

Evette nodded. She scooted closer to Alex, brushing strands of black hair out of her face. "You know, I never really liked your ex." She muttered. "She was so clingy."

Alex shrugged, pulling Evette's hands away from her face, but still smiling. "She was just protecting me when I needed her to." She mumbled.

Evette shrugged. "I guess." She responded. She twirled a strand of Alex's hair around her finger. "But I'm sure you're glad that she's not here right now."

Alex gazed down as Evette drew herself closer. "-why's that?" she asked.

"Cause then I couldn't do this." Evette whispered. She pressed a kiss to Alex's lips. A drunk, sloppy kiss that took Alex by surprise. Alex pushed Evette's shoulders and shook her head.

"Evette, don't." Alex mumbled.

Evette shook her head. "Why not?" she asked, leaning forwards again.

Before Alex could answer, Evette had pushed her down on the couch, kissing her in a drunk fury. Alex pushed her away again, jumping off the couch and shaking her head. A knock on the door made Alex jump. She opened it quickly, seeing a bright yellow cab on the curb.

Evette stood and smiled at Alex. "I'll see you." She said, grinning at Alex, and blowing a kiss as she left the house.

Alex quickly shut the door and rubbed at her lips, like a child does when they are kissed. She dropped to the floor, leaning against the front door, stunned slightly. As soon as she was sure that the cab was gone, she ran out of the house and down the street.

**-X-**

Piper heard loud banging on her door, and a familiar voice calling out for her. She yawned, getting out of bed and quickly opening the door. "Alex- what's going on?" she asked.

Alex shook her head and launched herself at Piper, slamming the door shut behind her. She captured Piper's face in her hands and kissed her fiercely, pressing her against the wall and tangling her fingers in the long blonde hair.

Piper broke away and shook her head. "Alex, I thought we were just going to try being friends for now." She said, slightly astounded.

Alex shook her head. "No, I can't. Not anymore." She mumbled, kissing Piper yet again.

Piper pushed the taller woman back once more. "Alex, are you drunk?" she asked.

Alex groaned internally and shook her head. "Just shut up and fuck me." She pleaded.

Piper brushed the dark hair out of Alex's face, seeing the longing in her eyes. She pulled Alex's body against hers, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into the bedroom. Neither of them got much sleep that night.

**-X-**

* * *

**Alright, let's see what this new ring, now named Snow and Ice (a little tribute of my own to my very cold city) has in store for our favourite couple. Shall we? **

***quiet evil laughter* What was that? -N**


	17. Chapter 17

**I know, I know, I haven't updated in a long time! I'm so sorry! I will give no excuses this time, let's just get back to the story, shall we?**

**-X-**

Alex looked over at Piper, both of them breathless. She chuckled softly and ran her hands through her hair. "What's so funny?" she heard Piper ask.

Alex sighed. "Honestly, absolutely nothing." She said. She turned on her side to face Piper and brushed some blonde hair away from Piper's neck. She rested her hand on Piper's skin and shook her head. "We need a plan." She whispered.

Piper turned on her own side and looked over at Alex. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Alex shook her head again. "I was with Evette last night. She told me that whoever is in charge, they don't think that you're picking up fast enough. She said if you don't catch on soon, you're out." She murmured.

Piper's face grew grim. "Great." She muttered. She sighed and rolled back onto her back, hands running through her hair. "So, what's the plan then?" she asked, smiling softly at the dark haired woman lying next to her.

Alex grabbed her glasses off the side table and rolled onto her stomach, resting her head on Piper's shoulder. "I could try to buy us some more time. Cozy up to Evette." She whispered.

Piper cut her off quickly. "No way." She murmured. "I just got you back. I don't want you near anyone else."

Alex raised an eyebrow and lifted herself up to glance at Piper. "Overprotective much?" she laughed softly.

Piper stared into Alex's eyes, narrowing them quickly before pressing another kiss to her lips. "Yes." She breathed as she held Alex's head in her hands. "I'm not going to lose you again. The only thing that is going to separate me from you is death." She said firmly.

Alex smiled softly. "Fine." She murmured. She lifted Piper's hand and linked their fingers together. "Then our last option is to go to the police. Or even higher up." She said.

"Higher up? Like how high?"

"Like federally." Alex responded. "They've got the witness protection. We'll be safer there."

Piper thought momentarily, then nodded. "Alright." She murmured.

**-X-**

_Four months later:_

Alex crushed the last box with her foot, tossing it next to the garbage can in the kitchen of the small house they had been given. She brushed the long black hair out of her face, letting her breath out in a loud huff. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist as she straightened up, a barrage of kisses pressed to her neck as she leaned back slightly into the blonde woman. "Well, we're all settled into our new house." She murmured. She turned to face Piper, smiling at her new wife. The two of them had gone to the courthouse the day before going to the feds, making sure that they would stay together when they turned themselves in.

Piper nodded. "Looks like we are." She murmured. "So what should we do now – Sam?" she asked quietly.

Alex laughed slightly. "God, I hate my name." she mumbled.

Piper laughed at the dark haired woman. "Well it's better than mine."

Alex grinned and nodded. "True. I'm not sure that anything could be worse than Katie." She said sarcastically.

Piper rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, I just like our own names better." She explained. She unwound her arms from Alex's waist and sat down on the couch, turning to face Alex as she sat down next to her. "I mean, learning new names, a new address – new everything – it's just a little overwhelming." She said.

Alex nodded. "I know." She murmured. She took a strand of the long blonde hair between her fingers and twisted it gently. "But at least we're safe." She murmured. _For now. _She added silently. She edged closer to Piper and smiled softly. "How about this: when it's just you and me, we'll call each other by the names we know."

Piper smiled softly and nodded. "Sounds good." She murmured. "So how long do you think we'll be safe here?" she asked, bringing up the obvious question that they were both dreading to ask the other.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, with new names – new everything – they shouldn't be able to track us, but –"

Piper nodded. "I know." She murmured. She rested her head on Alex's shoulder.

Alex sighed softly, stroking her blonde hair, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head. "You know what?" she said, hearing Piper utter a soft 'hmm' in response. "I finally feel like I'm back to normal. Like this is the way things should have been – before that trip." She said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Piper looked up at Alex and smiled. "I'm glad." She whispered. She pressed a kiss to Alex's lips, pulling away slowly before quickly moving in for another, shifting her weight and moving to straddle her wife's hips. She lifted the hem of Alex's shirt, pulling away briefly to lift it over her head. Alex smiled softly, pulling off her glasses and tossing them on the floor as Piper dropped her shirt aside.

Alex stood suddenly, lifting Piper up with her. Piper squealed, wrapping her legs around Alex's waist, her arms around her neck moving to press kisses wherever she could – cheeks, lips, chin, neck. Alex walked them to the bedroom as quickly as she could without dropping the precious cargo she was holding, only to throw Piper down onto the bed as soon as she possibly could.

Piper pushed herself up towards the head of their bed, only to feel herself being pulled back down by her ankles, soft lips kissing their way up her skin, nipping here and there when she least expected it. Alex reached up to the waist of Piper's jeans and unbuttoned them, slowly crawling her way up the other woman's body before pushing her hand beneath the fabric, running one finger through Piper's wetness, before pulling Piper up into a semi-sitting position.

Piper let out a small whine, softly pleading with Alex. Alex grinned, withdrawing her hand slowly, trailing her finger up Piper's stomach. Piper opened her eyes and reached out for Alex, only to watch her pull out of reach. Alex smiled softly and stood, moving to sit behind Piper. She reached her arms around Piper's waist, pulling her shirt over her head, and turning her face so she could kiss the blonde woman.

Piper moaned against Alex's lips, leaning back into the taller woman's body, trying anything to urge her wife to take her – right then and there – but Alex wanted to do things her own way, as usual. She reached around Piper, lifting one hand to massage her breast, playing with Piper's hard nipple as she smiled softly to herself. She could feel Piper's need growing more and more urgent.

"Please-" Piper mumbled, half out of her mind.

Alex grinned and whispered softly into her ear. "Only because you asked so nicely." Her free hand shifted from Piper's stomach downwards, slowly making her way to where Piper needed her most. Her fingers danced through the curls that covered just above, then finally, came to rest just above Piper's clit.

Piper's hips jerked involuntarily, trying to gain so friction. Alex grinned and tutted softly. "So impatient." She murmured.

"Shit – Alex – little b-" Piper was cut off as Alex circled her clit with her middle finger.

"Now, now," Alex whispered. "Is that any way to speak to your wife?"

Piper whined in response, arching her back against Alex, grasping at the bed sheets underneath her. Piper's mouth opened slightly, mouthing words as she felt herself drawing closer to the edge.

"What was that?" Alex coaxed her softly, slowing her finger.

Piper whined loudly. "Faster-" she pleaded.

Alex grinned and nodded. "As you wish." She breathed. She continued circling Piper's clit with her index finger, and as soon as she felt Piper was close to the edge, she pressed two free fingers into her, causing Piper to moan loudly as she came, writhing against Alex's body, clutching at her wife's wrists.

Alex pressed kisses against Piper's neck, listening to the noises of her wife relaxing from her climax. She smiled softly and laid back, letting Piper rest against her chest.

Piper grinned. "Fuck you." She murmured softly.

Alex smiled. "I think I just did that."

Piper shook her head. "I love you Sam." She whispered.

Alex sighed softly, shaking her head slightly, but smiling. "I love you too, Katie."

**-X-**

Alex yawned, opening her eyes slightly to the blurry bedroom that didn't look familiar. She grabbed her glasses and looked over at Piper. Her blonde hair was spread around her head and scattered against the pillow. The familiar sight made Alex feel more at home than if she was back in the house she had grown up in. She brushed the hair out of Piper's face and smiled softly, pressing a kiss to her wife's cheek. Piper groaned softly and threw an arm over her eyes.

"Morning." Alex whispered.

Piper grunted softly and kicked against the sheets. "…Coffee…" she grumbled.

Alex laughed and shook her head. "Yes ma'am." She murmured into her wife's ear. She crawled out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker. She went to the door of the apartment and gathered the mail, flipping through it quickly and tossing it onto the coffee table. She poured two mugs of coffee and crept back to her wife, setting Piper's coffee on the side table next to her. Alex sipped at hers, setting it down after and brushing Piper's hair away from her neck, pressing kisses against the soft skin hiding under the hair.

Piper held Alex's head against her neck, whimpering softly. She opened her eyes and smiled softly. "Fuck coffee." She whispered, rolling over on top of Alex.

**-X-**

**I am so sorry! My laptop is jacked up. I need to get it fixed. It was so much of a struggle trying to get this chapter up. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I've still got some things in store for our favourite couple, I just have to figure out what order they're going to come in! Lol!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and feel free to leave your comments and suggestions!**

**-N**


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